My Life's What Now!
by TibbiToo
Summary: Sammy Keyes is a complex character:We're lucky to be able to see inside her head...but what happens when her friends could too? Watch as Sammy and friends read Wedding Crasher and discover a...new, side of Sammy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey guys!I've thought of this idea for a while, and there is only one fanfic like this by Olympian814. In the Percy Jackson section, they do "reading the….." a lot, and I thought "Hey, why aren't there Sammy Keyes fanfics like that?" so yeah. Well, read and Review my fellow fanfiction buddies!**

**Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Sammy Keyes or the book: Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher (represented in bold). It all belongs to my favorite author Wendelin Van Draanen and Random House.**

Sometimes, the craziest things happen on the most ordinary days. This point was proven on the Monday of fall break for both William Rose Jr High, and Santa Martina High. Each one of Sammy's friends were at their house with nothing to do, especially Sammy.

She went down to the police station out of boredom to see if there were any criminals lurking the streets. Instead, she found Officer Borsch looking through packages, some small and some large.

"What are you doing" Sammy inquired as she walked up to his side.

He jumped a little, but then turned to face the small 8th grader. "Don't do that Sammy! You're going to be the death of me! As for your question, just sorting out some packages." He answered, continuing to separate them with ease.

"Well, I can see that," She retorted with a smirk. "But _what_ are you sorting, you know, like its _contents_?"

"Oh." He started to get red in the face. Sammy laughed on the inside at how easily she could make the Borschman embarrassed. "Just some police business. New radios and some evidence that's being transported over here from the Santa Luisa police department. Pretty much anything that anybody decides to send us, but that's what majority of this stuff is."

"Oh." Was all she could say as she continued to watch him sort through the packages.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He questioned when he turned to look at her.

"Officer Borsch, are you trying to get rid of me?" She smiled. "And no. I don't. I don't feel like going to East Jasmine to see Marissa, Dot's dress shopping for her aunts wedding, and Holly is working at the Humane Society. So, I came here, hoping to find something productive to do." She picked up a package and twirled it in her hands and set it down. "Looks like I didn't accomplish much."

Officer Borsch chuckled and responded, "Well, why don't you help me sort some of this stuff. It'll take less time with two people."

Sammy hesitated, and then agreed. "Sure. I have no life."

As Sammy and Officer Borsch organized, they were silent. She wasn't sure if it was because of their new friendship, or because there was nothing to talk about. The silence was broken when Sammy picked up a rectangular package, like majority of the packages. It was medium sized and hard. She got Goosebumps as she flipped this package in her small hands. She read the small print that was written on the brown packaging. It read:

_To Sammy Keyes and friends. Rejoice for the world will know your story._

What the crap? "Umm, Officer Borsch?" She questioned, unsure," look."

She didn't know what to say so she handed the strange package over to him so he could examine it. And that he did when he grabbed it. He read silently, then responded. "Well, I believe this is for you."

"Well, yeah! Duh! Why else would it have my name?" she exclaimed.

Officer Borsch smirked, used to her antics. "So… take it home. Open it. Why it was mailed to the police station, I have no idea. But it's yours so, go ahead."

"Fine. Maybe I will!" she grumbled as she snatched the box from Officer Borsch's meaty hands. Sammy muttered things "_like stupid box_", and "_why won't you_ open" as she attempted to open the package up. Finally, she managed to rip the cardboard apart.

She pulled out a book with a yellow three layer cake with two tiny people on it and a heart surrounding them in the top left corner. Next to that, on the right, were a gray, plastic dead mouse, and a dog tag that said _die dude_. Then, on the bottom in a row was a skinny girl with a striped shirt, a big fat dude in a do rag and circle glasses and a boy with a chicken hat. Her mind was going a million miles an hour. This all seemed familiar. The rat, the _die dude_ dog tag, the chicken hat, the biker dude, the wedding cake.

"It can't be!" Sammy muttered as she studied the illustrations. Her fears were confirmed when she read the title.

_Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher, by Wendelin Van Draanen. _

**A/N ta da! I know I'm not the best creative writer, I'm more of a persuasive essay type of girl, but I wanted to give it a try. I would really appreciate some tips on how to make my imaginative writing better. Thanks for your time! I'll update as soon as I can! Oh, and Happy Easter to you all. I guess I'm a little early. But oh well! :D**


	2. We start to read!

**A/N Hello! Thank you to all of those who reviewed! I really appreciate that! :D So pretty much, if you haven't yet guessed, Sammy and her friends are going to read Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher. I'm pretty excited about that, I don't know about you. ;)**

**WARNING! SPOILERS FOR SAMMY KEYES AND THE WEDDING CRASHER!**

**Disclaimer: I don't know WHY we have to put these in here, honestly. This isn't some website where kids go to publish books! It's fanfiction people! It's exactly what it means! Fan Fiction! But since I gotta, here ya go! I do NOT own Sammy Keyes or her friends, or the words in bold, they are owned by Wendelin Van Draanen and random House!**

Sammy stared at the book in her hands, not quite believing what she saw.

"Officer Borsch, I gotta go!" She said after she could get passed her speechlessness.

"Wait, Sammy?" before he could even ask what the package was, she was gone.

Sammy grabbed her skateboard, which she left by the police station door, and rode out of there as fast as she could. She didn't have an exact location as to where she was headed, but that didn't matter. The longer she rode the more clear her head seemed to get.

She finally decided to go home to call her friends. As she neared the Senior Highrise, she looked over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed. Once she was sure of that, she silently made her way up the fire escape, up to the 5th story landing. She opened the door slowly, and made sure the hallway was empty. She then made her way to her room and opened the door, and quickly slipped inside.

The apartment was empty, which was very unusual. She placed her skateboard down by the door, and went into the kitchen to search for a note from Grams. The note was on the counter in clear sight. Sammy snatched at up, adrenaline still running in her veins.

_Gone to the store. Be back soon. _

_-Grams_

Sammy sighed, forgetting that she had something important to do. But just as quick as that forgetfulness appeared, it vanished. She rushed to the phone and dialed Marissa's number. After about 5 rings she gave up and dialed Hudson's number; that's where Marissa and Mikey were staying while their parents were fighting.

She waited for about 3 rings until Mikey answered the phone with "Hello?"

"Hey Mikey, It's Sammy. Is Marissa there? It's an emergency!" Sammy rushed.

"Uhhh, yeah. Here she is." He responded. There was a slight fumbling sound, but soon came Marissa's voice.

"Sammy?"

"Yeah. Marissa, something weird just happened. Something really, really, really weird. You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you! I wouldn't believe myself! I don't know what to do, or who to call, or-"

'Sammy!" Marissa interrupted, "Calm down! You haven't even told me what this 'weird thing' was yet!"

"Okay. So I was at the police station-"

"What did you get yourself into this time?" Marissa interrupted…._Again. _Sammy could practically see her roll her eyes.

"Dude! Not funny. Please don't interrupt! This is news that could change life as we know it!"

"Life as we know it?" Marissa chuckled.

"Yes! So please let me continue!" Sammy said.

"Fine, fine. I won't interrupt!" Marissa agreed, surrendering.

"Thank you! So okay, I was at the police station sorting out packages-"

'Sorting out packages?" Marissa once again, interrupted.

"Yes! Now hush Marissa! I was sorting out packages with Officer Borsch because I had nothing better to do. After about 10 minutes of separating the boxes into different sections, I came across a medium sized rectangular box. When I looked at it more carefully, I noticed writing on it. On it, it said:_ 'To Sammy Keyes and friends. Rejoice for the world will know your story.' "_

"What the heck? That's quite random. And it was mailed to the police station?" Marissa asked, confused, like Sammy.

"Yes! So anyways, on with the story..."

"Story…. Ha ha ha ha!" **(A/N Yes, that was my lame attempt of a laugh.) **Marissa chuckled.

"Okay, stop, that's not even funny! So anyways_… again..._ I opened it up and it was a book. On the cover was a yellow, three layer cake with two tiny people on it and a heart surrounding them in the top left corner. Next to that, on the right, were a gray, plastic dead mouse, and a dog tag that said _die dude_. Then, on the bottom in a row was a skinny girl with a striped shirt, a big fat dude in a do rag and circle glasses and a boy with a chicken hat. Sound familiar?" Sammy explained.

"That kind of sounds like what happened a few months ago. You know the die dude thing with Mr. Vince? But it has to just be a coincidence. Right?" Marissa asked.

"Well, no. You see, I think it's about us." Sammy said, still unsure about the whole situation.

"Oh come _on _Sammy! Like they made a book about us? And how would they know about all that? Unless this 'author' is some crazy, psycho, stalker person who looks in our windows. And let me tell you, I would have noticed."

"Marissa! You want proof?"

"Yes I do!" Marissa stubbornly said.

"Okay. If it isn't about us, then why is the title _Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher?_

"It is? That means it's about us!" Marissa gasped.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you Sherlock! So what do we do?"Sammy asked.

"Well, what about read it?"

"Read it?" Sammy said, squinting her eyes.

"Yeah, you know, asking Billy, Dot, Holly, and Casey to come over and read it?"

"Read it! Of course! Can you ask Hudson if it's okay if we all come over to read?" Sammy inquired, smiling.

"Yeah, one sec." the phone went silent for about a half a minute, and then Marissa returned... "He says he doesn't mind. He also said that he and Mikey could go and run some errands while we're there. For privacy, ya know? "

"Okay. I'll go call everyone up. I'll be there in about 20 minutes with the book."

"Sounds good to me!" She agreed.

Sammy soon hung up to call her friends and boyfriend. It took awhile, but soon they agreed to go to Hudson's to read the mysterious book as a whole.

Sammy grabbed the book off the counter where she left it, retrieved her skateboard, and ran to the door. Through all her confused thoughts and wandering mind, she almost forgot to make sure there was no one in the hallway. She stopped herself just in time. She opened the door a crack, peeked out, and once she was sure there was no old people ready to get her kicked out, she slipped out the door and headed out the fire escape door silently, and down the fire escape. Once she reached the sidewalk, she threw her skateboard down and hopped on it, book in hand. She raced down Cypress at the speed of light until she saw Marissa's figure on the porch, waving like a mad person.

Sammy slowed down, and hopped off her board, and ran to the small gate and opened it. Marissa rushed towards her, yelling,"Where is it? Where is it?"

"Calm down!" Sammy said sternly.

'How can you be calm? A book has been made about us, and you have the guts to be calm?" Marissa yelled.

"Shut up, Marissa! We don't need the extra attention as it already is! And for your information, I AM NOT calm. I'm just not acting like a crazy psych chick whose about to jump off the edge of cliff for fun" Sammy retorted, annoyed at Marissa's behavior.

"I do not sound like that! And for YOUR information, it's called cliff diving. It's a real sport." She huffed.

"Yeah you do. And only people like you actually would do that for fun!" Sammy argued

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, and just to let you know, I really wouldn't do that. It's dangerous, and I have life to live. But seriously, give me the dang book!" Marissa said as she snatched the book from Sammy's hands.

"Snatchy." Sammy muttered as Marissa read the cover.

"It really is true!" Marissa concluded

"You thought I was lying?" Sammy interrogated as she stole the book from Marissa's hands.

Throughout their argument, Billy, Dot, Holly, and Casey arrived, amused by their conversation.

"Ahem" Holly fake coughed at the two bickering girls.

"Oh. Hey you guys!" Sammy said, as her checks roseied up.

"Hey, Sammy Keyesta! So what's that 'magical book' you were telling me about on the phone?" Billy questioned a goofy grin on his face.

"Oh. It's right here." Sammy said, handing the book over to Billy.

"So? Do we just read it?" Dot asked

"Sure, why not? Lets open this bad boy up." Holly suggested.

"All in favor?" Marissa announced.

Sammy, Marissa, Holly, Dot, Billy, and Casey all raised their hands.

"Then that settles it. Let's go in and read it." Casey said.

They all went inside Hudson's house to the living room, where there was a long couch, 2 Padded chairs, a coffee table, and a TV. Billy and Dot sat on the 2 padded chairs, which were on either side of the sofa. Sammy and Casey sat side by side in the middle of the couch, with Holly on Casey's side and Marissa on Sammy's side.

"So who's going to read, and what will we read first?" Casey asked the group of friends.

"Well, let's read the summery first, to see how they summarize the events that took place." Sammy suggested as she took the book out of Billy's hands.

Sammy opened the book to the first page. "And there is a prologue. It makes the most sense to start there, right?" she asked.

There was a chorus of "yeahs" and 'Yeps", and "You are completely right!". The last one was said loudly, and it came from no other then Billy.

"Okay. I'll read first. Here is the summery:

**For junior high detective Sammy Keyes, eighth grade begins with an accusation, an inquisition, and several assorted death threats!**

**The history teacher, Mr. Vince, is being threatened, which at first seems funny. He's horrible!**

"Awful!"

"Rude!"

Disgusting!

"I'm glad he's gone!"the friends all said, minus Dot, and Holly who didn't have him or haven't met him_**.**_

_**Every**_** student wants Mr. Vince gone.**

"And gone he is!" smiled Billy**. **

**But as the threats become more serious, the question becomes—who wants him **_**dead**_**and gone?**

With her own name near the top of the suspect list, Sammy's determined to get to the bottom of things.

"And I did! That's what he gets for trying to blame me!" Sammy exclaimed. Everyone knew she hated being blamed for things she didn't do.

"Speak the truth Sammy Keysta! He doesn't like guest speakers! What kind of teacher hates guest speakers?" Billy asked, exasperated.

"I'm sure that's the reason everyone wants him gone, Billy." Holly said as she rolled her eyes.

"Whoa! Guest Speakers are amazing! Without them, the skies would be grey, the hearts of people would turn to coal; Guest speakers are what make the world go round!"

"Whatever you say Billy" Casey chuckled, shaking his head.

**But she's distracted by a mother bearing bad news,**

"But it all turned out good in the end." Sammy said as she looked up at Casey and smiled.

"Even if it was really hard to get through." Casey responded smiling back at Sammy, grabbing her hand.

"PDA! PDA!" Billy screamed like a little girl.

"Dude, shut up!" Marissa muttered, "Anyways, I never knew Sammy could be so emotional." She added a smirk to her words.

Sammy blushed, while Casey just smiled.

**an almost-boyfriend**

"Correction, Boyfriend!" Dot declared.

"Well, technically, they weren't going out back then." Holly countered.

"Oh yeah." Dot said, looking rather sheepish.

**ducking her calls,**

"Sorry about that." Casey said to Sammy.

"No probl-"

"Dude! No more interruptions! I am trying to listen to this. When will you learn to be more respectful?" Billy yelled.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**and a date with a poofy lavender bridesmaid dress.**

"That was pretty funny to see you in." Casey interrupted.

"Yeah. Some dress." Marissa agreed.

"I hated the thing." Sammy muttered, while everyone laughed.

"I wish I could've seen that!" Billy, holly, and Dot all said in Unison.

"I'm glad you didn't." Sammy retorted.

This latest Sammy Keyes adventure

"It said latest." Dot stated surprised.

"Do you think that means there are books about the other crimes Sammy solved?" Holly asked her friends.

"I don't know. If there are, that's a lot of books!" Marissa chuckled.

"I sure want to read those!" Billy smiled.

**blends mystery, comedy, and a dusting of fairy tale magic as Sammy takes off her high-tops,**

"Reluctantly. I should have learned that giving up my high tops always leads to trouble! Remember the camping trip?" Sammy asked Casey and Billy.

"Yeah. That was pretty exciting." Casey agreed.

"Oh, my beautiful snake, how I miss thee…" Billy fake moped.

"I wish I went," Grumbled Marissa, "While you guys were out backpacking, I had to babysit Mikey in Vegas… Again."

"No you don't! It was awful!" Sammy argued, "How would you like it if-"

"Okay, how about we move on, for real you guys. We haven't even made it through the _summery_. No more interruptions, okay?" Dot interrupted.

**puts on some party shoes, and steps into a whole lot of trouble.**

"That's the summery." Sammy concluded.

"Finally! We get to the story!" Marissa said, putting her hands up in the air.

"So, I'll just continue reading." Sammy said, looking strangely at Marissa. "This is the prologue."

**In the beginning, I thought it was funny.**

"So it's in Sammy's point of view." Casey smirked. "Now we all get to know what goes on in that head of yours."

"Oh, great!" Sammy huffed.

**I mean, having Mr. Vince for a teacher is not exactly a sunshiny way to start your day.**

"Speak the truth!" Billy yelled, like a preacher.

**It's more like being trapped in a room with a dark, threatening cloud rumbling over you.**

"That exactly what it's like!" Billy agreed, nodding his head.

**It's not just that Mr. Vince acts like he hates us, it's also that he's gross. **

"He is. I didn't have him, but I saw him because of softball. Eww!" Marissa said, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

**Everyone knows he chews tobacco because we've all seen him add to the little cup of nasty brown spit that he keeps in his desk drawer.**

"That really is gross!" Dot exclaimed.

"Tell me about it!" Billy and Sammy agreed in unison.

**Plus, he has a disgusting scratching habit. You name it and we've seen him scratch it- his head, his neck, his stomach, his crotch. It's unbelievable.**

**So when the pranks begin, I had to laugh.**

"Which only added to me being more suspicious." Sammy muttered.

**But pretty soon I realized the prankster was serious.**

**Serious and dangerous.**

"Dangerous?" Holly asked, "I mean it was just-"

"We know who did it! This already happened remember?" Marissa pointed out.

"Yeah. I know. I just wanted to make a point." Holly argued, rolling her eyes.

"So, so wants to read chapter 1?" Dot asked.

**A/N Is it me, or was that a long chapter, or is it me? I wanted them to start Reading, but I if they read chapter 1, it would be **_**too**_** long. So next chapter they'll read the 1****st**** chapter, then the next chapter after that they will read the 2****nd**** chapter and so on. Oh! And thank you to my reviewers ****Lollipops3002 and Cammygrl! It means a lot! And I have a question. For the chapter names, do you want me to create a name for them so that you can find certain chapters easier or just say "Chapter 1" "Chapter 2"?**


	3. Reading Chapter 1

**A/N Sorry I didn't update faster. I got slammed with major projects this pass 2 weeks. But I finally finished! I can't wait till the school years done! **

**Oh! And guess what happened? You know how Friday the 13th was yesterday? Yeah it was a suckish day for me. Here's what happened: I woke up late, forgot my extra credit to turn in, forgot my book that was due, forgot to bring chap stick, (because I bring it EVERYDAY) forgot to the rough draft section of my project that was due that day, my friend forgot to give me the words for my personal dictionary (an extra credit thing that has you write the definition, a sentence, and example/picture of a wod that we learned about) that was due that day, I lost my fancy purple highlighter, I bombed my project (the one that was mentioned before. I have NEVER bombed a project in my LIFE) and my backpack broke while I was walking out of my pod (It's a one shoulder kind of bag). I called my brother and sister to pick me up because I did NOT want to walk home carrying my heavy backpack in my arms. It wasn't till I got home that I realized it was Friday the 13****th****. Yep, suckish day. Anyways, here's Sammy and her friends reading the first chapter of Wedding Crasher!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sammy Keyes, her friends, or the letters in bold. They all belong to Wendilin Van Draanen! **

**WARNING: SAMMY KEYES AND THE WEDDING CRASHER SPOILERS!**

"I will!" Marissa offered, raising her hand in the air.

"Okay." Sammy agreed, handing her the book.

"Finally, chapter one! " Billy said, rubbing his hands together. "Maybe I'll be mentioned.

"Whatever. Okay, here is chapter one." Marissa started.

**I was almost looking forward to eighth grade starting. Not because I missed getting up early or couldn't wait to be saddled with homework again.**

"Heck no!" Almost everyone yelled, shaking their heads.

**Please.**

**No, I was looking forward to school starting up again for the only reason anyone in junior high looks forward to it.**

**I'd get to see my friends every day.**

**My best friend, Marissa, **

"I was mentioned first! Ha!" Marissa gloated with a smug look.

**was ready too. Her family is in crisis mode, and I think going back to school seemed like a way for her to escape all that. **

"It was. My family is crazy." Marissa agreed.

"Wait. What family crisis?" Billy asked, confused.

"It'll probably tell in the story if we were all quiet!" Sammy responded.

"Yeah, it's probably going to say it soon." Dot agreed.

**Plus, we'd be eighth graders instead of lowly seventh graders, and last year's stress of being at a new school would be totally gone.**

**But then the first day of school arrived and I got my final schedule.**

"DUN DUN DUN!" Billy yelled, a look of terror on his face.

"Dude,shhh!" Sammy ordered

"Yeah, so we can see all Sammy's embarrassing and interesting thoughts!" Holly agreed. Sammy gave her a death glare.

"**No!" I cried when I saw it.**

"**What?" Marissa asked.**

"**I've got Mr. Vince! For homeroom **_**and**_** history!"**

"That stinks." Casey laughed.

"I know. But now he is gone! Thank goodness!" Sammy agreed.

"**Eew," she said as she inspected my schedule. "Bad way to start the day."**

"Tell me about it!" Sammy and Billy said in unison.

**Then I leaned over to see her schedule and saw that we only had one class together-drama, at the very end of the day. "No!" I cried again. "This is the worst schedule ever!"**

"Over dramatic Sammy!" Dot yelled, with a small smile on her face.

"Yep. We all know she can get wound up on things-"Holly started.

"Stop! Marissa, continue." Sammy interrupted.

**Our friends Dot and Holly joined us,**

"We are in the story!" Holly and Dot both cheered with a fist pump.

"I should be in the story!" Billy pouted.

"I don't think I'll be in the story much." Casey added.

"Well, not physically, anyways." Sammy agreed.

**and I found out that they had three classes the same as Marissa…and that all of them had some guy named Mr. Jefferson for history instead for Mr. Vince.**

"**This is so unfair!"**

"Life's not fair! Deal with it!" Billy yelled.

They all looked at him strangely.

"Anyways…" Marissa trailed off.

"**Maybe you can get switched?" Marissa said.**

**So I marched right up to the office. It wasn't **_**just **_**that I had only one class with Marissa, it was that I had only one class with Marissa **_**and**_** they'd stuck me with Mr. Vince.**

**Mr. Vince!**

"Yeah, that stinks." Casey said

**Let's just say that there was no way I would survive the year with bad Mood bob.**

"Ha ha! I like that! Do you give nicknames for everybody? Billy chuckled.

"Maybe." Sammy answered slyly.

**And that's not just because he hates kids. He may teach history, but he and I**_** have **_**history. **

"Dude, that sounds like you dated him!" Marissa snickered.

"EWWWWWW!" All of them screamed.

**Last year he covered up a total sabotage of my softball team by one of his players **

"Heather!" Dot called.

**so his team could play at the Sluggers Cup. That may not seem like a big deal, but in Santa Martina, the Sluggers Cup is **_**huge, **_**and since I was part of why his little shenanigans**

"Shenanigans? That's a funny word. Shenanigans." Billy chuckled.

"Yeah, of course it's hilarious." Marissa said, rolling her eyes.

**backfired, anywhere near him is now defiantly enemy territory.**

**So, yeah. As Grams would say, I had good grounds to demand a change. Trouble is, when I got to the office, I found out from the office lady that my counselor couldn't see me. "She's swamped, sweetie," Mrs. Tweeter said with a tisk. She leaned forward and whispered, "She's new this year, so have a little patience, all right?"**

"**But she put me in Mr. Vince's class!"**

**Her eyes did some rapid-fire blinking over the tops of her reading glasses, and I could tell she was remembering the Sluggers cup fiasco. "Oh my."**

"At least someone gets it!" Casey offered.

"You would've thought." Sammy sighed.

"**Exactly!"**

**She took a prim breath and a little step back. "Well, Mr. Vince**_** is**_** a professional, dear and if you stay on your best behavior-"**

"That won't change anything, will it? Dot asked.

"Nope."Sammy, Marissa, Casey, and Billy all said.

"**No! This will never work!" I looked past her to see the vice principals office door. "Can I please see Mr. Caan? He'll straighten this out."**

"**Hmm. I **_**would **_**see about that," she said, drawing out the words, "but Mr. Caan no longer works here."**

"Yeah, he's at my school. He seems to follow me you know." Casey joked.

"Well, I don't like the new Vice principal." Sammy said shaking her head.

"Neither do I." Billy agreed.

"I don't know what he's like besides what Sammy tells me." Dot said.

"Yeah, because some of us don't get in trouble-"Holly chuckled.

"-and get sent to the vice principal's office!" Marissa finished.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Sammy said, rolling her eyes.

"Marissa, can we please continue reading?" Casey asked.

"Sure" she responded.

"**He what? Wait. Why not?"**

"**Didn't you read the August newsletter, dear? **

"No!" the group all said in unison.

**He's now the principal at the high school. Mr. Foxmore is our new vice principal."**

"**Mr. Caan is at the **_**high school**_**?"**

"**That's right, dear." She gives me a cheery smile. "So you'll reunite with him next year."**

"**Well, what about Dr. Morlock?" I ask. "Can I see him?"**

"Dude, are you kidding me?" Casey asked, surprise on his face.

"It was just a thought! I was desperate!" Sammy defended when everyone stared at her.

"Whatever you want to call it." Marissa sighed.

**She looks at me like, You're kidding, right? because Dr. Morlock is a totally absentee principal. I only saw him about three times last year, but one of those times **_**was**_** at the sluggers' cup tournament, so he knows about me and Mr. Vince.**

"I can see your logic, but to actually SEE him, that's another story." Holly said.

"I KNOW!" Sammy said grumpily.

"**He's not even here?"**

"**He was, dear, but he had a meeting." She reaches to answer the ringing phone. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn to see Miss Anderson, just like everyone else. I'm sorry."**

**I left there so frustrated that even the janitor noticed. "Hey, hey, hold on Sammy," he said, catching up to me. "What's wrong?"  
>"Oh, hi, Cisco," I said, feeling bad for blasting right by him. I mean, Cisco may be "just" a janitor, but he's the coolest adult at school.<strong>

"Yeah he is! He's the coolest adult I have ever known!" Billy interrupted.

"Yeah, he is!" Everyone agreed, chuckling and shaking their heads.

**He can talk about music or movies or sports, and he knows all the kids by name. So instead of answering "Nothing" like I would have with most other people, I said, "They put me in Vince's class, and nobody in the office seems to get why that's a disaster." **

"**Oh boy," he says. And I can tell that he **_**completely**_** gets it.**

"Of course he does! He's Cisco!" Holly laughed.

**He glances back at the office. "A lot of changes around here, man. Not good at all, that's for sure. I coulda told them what to prune and what to transplant is they'd asked me, but of course they didn't."**

"If Cisco ran the school, that would be cool." Casey said.

"Yeah, it would be!" Sammy agreed smiling.

"Yeah, then you would have your schedule changed!" Dot laughed.

"That would've been pretty awesome, but I like my schedule now." Sammy said.

**I laugh and tell him thanks, and just knowing he understands why I'm so unhappy makes me feel better.**

**A lot better actually.**

**"Don't worry," he says with a wink. "Things'll work out."**

"And they did." Billy smirked. "Who knew he was psychic!"

**After that I just tried to tell myself that my schedule **_**would **_**get better After all, they couldn't get much worse, right?**

"Don't jinx it Sammy!" Marissa cried.

"Number one, there is no such thing as a jinx-"Sammy started.

"Yes, there is!" Marissa argued.

"Whatever. Anyways, number two; this already happened, so I jinx_ed_ it! Past tense, already happened, the past, been there, done that!" Sammy cried.

"Wow, Sammy. You don't need to flip out." Holly snickered.

"Marissa, read." Sammy ordered.

**But when I walked into history third period, I found myself face to face with Heather Acosta.**

"Yep. You totally jinxed it." Casey said.

"That must suck. Heather and you and Mr. Vince. Bad combo." Said Dot with a shudder.

**"Hey, loser!" she sneered.**

"I can't stand her sometimes." Casey said, shaking his head.

"Neither can we!" everyone agreed.

**I stepped around her and found a seat, but wow. Talk about a rash of bad luck.**

"Cuz you jinxed it!" Billy sing-songed.

**I mean, anywhere near that vicious redhead is like being surrounded by poison oak. Get too close and your life will be covered in itchy, oozy bumps. Stumble in and you might actually die. **

"Sadly, it's true." Marissa muttered.

**The only real solution is to avoid her, but she makes that difficult. **

**Very difficult.**

**For one thing, she's sneaky.**

"Oh, we know." Dot confirmed.

**Some days she's shiny and green, and people think she's, you know, a blackberry plant or some sweet little meadow clover.**

**Don't let her fool you. She's always poison oak, and when she finally shows her true colors, you'll just want to drown yourself in calamine lotion.**

"I love you metaphors Sammy." Casey chuckled, shaking his head.

"Always so colorful." Holly agreed, smiling.

"And true." Dot followed.

"Thank you." Sammy said.

**So I steer clear.**

**I really do.**

"Sure you do." Billy said.

"I do!" Sammy defended.

"Sammy, he's just messing with you." Casey said

"Well, I don't like being messed with, so cut it out!" Sammy said.

**Trouble is, she likes to brush up against me.**

**Likes to camouflage herself in front of our teachers.**

**Likes to surround me and make my life as painful as she possibly can. **

"And it sucks." Sammy concluded.

"Sorry, Sammy." Casey said with a cringe.

"Hey, it's not your fault if you're related to the demon." Sammy said.

**So after she calls, "Hey, Loser!" she says, "I saw my brother hanging out with a hot girl at the high school yesterday. He is**_** so**_** over you!"**

"He is SO not over her!" Holly snickered.

"Well, no duh, Billy!" Marissa said, rolling her eyes at him.

"We all know Casey's got the hots for Sammy!" Billy laughed.

"Can you shut up?" Sammy asked her cheeks red.

"So, you want Casey to be looking at other girls?" Dot asked.

"I never said that!" Sammy yelled.

"Well, it sounded like you wanted to deny it-"Holly started.

"Marissa, can you PLEASE start reading?" Sammy asked.

**See? It's hard to ignore her. Especially when she says things you're secretly worried about. **

"Aww, you were _worried_?" Marissa cooed.

"I am seriously about to slap you." Sammy said.

"I'm just saying…" Marisa trailed off.

**I mean, Casey **

"I'm in the book!" Casey announced.

"You were already in the book!" Sammy exclaimed.

"Well, I wasn't officially in the book." Casey retorted.

Sammy just stared at him, confused.

"My name wasn't said." He clarified. "I was mentioned as, 'brother'."

"Oh! Okay." Sammy nodded.

**isn't **_**officially **_**my boyfriend, **

"He is now." Holly said.

"Back then he wasn't officially, but technically he was." Dot agreed.

"Yeah." Marissa said. She looked at the couple. "You guys had a complicated relationship."

"Tell me about it!" they both agreed.

**but Marissa has been saying that it was inevitable for so long that I'd started to believe it.**

**I **_**wanted**_** to believe it. **

"AWWWW! That is so sweet!" Dot interrupted.

"Yeah, I guess. " Sammy slowly said.

"I never knew you could be this mushy, Sammy!" Holly said.

"You haven't seen mushy yet." Sammy muttered.

"It gets better?" Marissa asked excitingly.

"Better? More like worse!" Sammy argued.

"I actually think it's pretty sweet." Casey said.

"Well, you're supposed to think that!" Sammy said to him.

"Well-"Casey began.

"Guys? Can we read now?" Dot interrupted.

"Sure." Casey said with a sigh.

**But he's in high school now.**

**And he's still my archenemy's brother.**

**Whose dad is secretly going out with my soap-star mother.**

"Whoa! Time out! WHAT?" Billy yelled.

Casey and Sammy looked at each other while everyone looked at _them. _

"Should we tell him?" Sammy asked.

"I think we should let the book tell." Casey said.

"Yeah, then there will be more suspense for Billy!" Dot chuckled.

"I feel so out of the loop!" Billy complained.

"Billy, I bet you'll have an episode once you hear my secret." Sammy laughed.

"Is it that bad?" Billy asked, his eyes as wide as saucers. "I mean, your guy's parents dating is scary! And what do you mean they're going out secretly and what do you mean 'your soap-star mother?'"

"You'll see." Sammy said with a smirk.

**Which makes everything… complicated.**

**And messy.**

**And not at all inevitable.**

"Look where we are." Casey said with a smirk

**And on top of that, I haven't heard from him since he called me during his high school orientation, and that was over a week ago.**

"That's because I had to keep the secret from you, not because I gave up on you." Casey clarified.

"What secret!" Billy yelled.

"You'll see." Everyone said. Billy pouted.

**But anyways, as if having Heather in Mr. Vince's class wasn't painful enough, it turns out I also have her in science and drama.**

**Half of my classes!**

"Ha ha! That really sucks!" Holly laughed.

**Why not just move her in with me?**

"Because then you'd be moving in with Casey. That would be awkward." Marissa said.

"Yeah. Wait, why did you move in with your mom? You said your dad got a new job or something?" Billy asked.

"You'll see." Casey answered smiling.

"Oh, so it's part of the Big Secret?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Sammy smiled.

**But after two weeks of trying to get my schedule changed, Miss Anderson told me there's nothing she can do about it. Dr. Morlock is never around, and the new vice principal refuses to see me, which makes me really mad. I thought about following him to his car after school **

"WHAT!" everyone in the room screamed. They all broke into laughter except Sammy who just stayed still, staring at them with amusement.

"Would you really?" Dot asked after she got her laughter controlled.

"Heck yeah! Sammy smirked.

That brought a whole new batch of giggles.

**and making him hear me out, but I don't even know what he looks like!**

**Grams tried talking to him on the phone, but she couldn't get anywhere with him, either. And when Mr. Foxmore began asking questions about why **_**she**_** was calling instead of my mother,**

"Yeah, why isn't your mom calling?" Billy asked… again.

"You'll see!" everyone said, chuckling.

"I'm getting REALLY tired of that!" Billy complained.

**Grams gave up. "Why didn't I say I was Lana?" she moaned. She fluttered around the kitchen like a trapped little bird. "I'm sorry I botched that, Samantha. He made me so nervous! Maybe you can get your mother to call?"**

**I just rolled my eyes and snorted.**

**Like Lady Lana **

"You call your mom 'Lady Lana'?" Billy asked in a surprised voice.

"Yep." Sammy answered simply.

**would want my sorry little scheduling problems to interfere with her soap-star life?**

"So your mom's a soap star! You weren't using it as a metaphor to explain her over dramatic-ness?" Billy asked, wide eyed.

"Yeah." Sammy responded.

"Where do you live?" Billy questioned.

"With my grandmother." Sammy answered simply.

"Where's that?"

"No where." Sammy said, amused.

"That's not very specific." Billy countered.

"That's the point." Sammy smirked.

**No, bottom line is, I'm stuck with Mr. Vince for homeroom and history, and I'm stuck with Heather Acosta in history, science, and drama. "Oh, that's harsh," Cisco said when he asked me how things had turned out. "But that's happening around here, man. People don't listen**_**."**_

"Tell me about it!"Everyone cried.

"**It's nice that you do," I told him.**

"**Too bad that's all I can do." He smiled and pushed his cleaning cart along."Except clean up your messes."**

"**Hey! I throw out my own trash."**

"Uh huh." Casey teased.

"I do!" Sammy exclaimed.

"I know you do, Sammy." Casey chuckled.

**He laughs and waves. "I know you do, Sammy." Then over his shoulder he calls, "Believe me, I pay attention!"**

**Now, there**_** is**_** one good thing about me schedule, and that's Billy Pratt.**

"I am in the book! And I feel really special!" Billy yelled.

"Yeah, but too much of Billy can be a bad thing." Holly laughed.

"Hey!" Billy yelled defensively.

**Billy is also in history, science, and drama and totally makes for those classes. For one thing, he's a good friend,**

"Why thank you." Billy said to Sammy.

"No problem." She responded.

**but he's also like a chimp in a cage of hyenas. **

"Huh?" Dot asked

**A macaw swooping through a murder of crows!**

"Huh?" Holly asked

**A clown fish in a school of sharks!**

"What?" asked Marissa.

**He's so… Billy.**

"I love your metaphors, and you were spot on about Billy." Casey complimented.

**And although most teachers don't appreciate his hyper sense of humor, I sure do. Especially after it finally kicked in again during the third week of school.**

"Who doesn't appreciate it?" Holly asked.

"Heather." Sammy answered in a monotone voice.

**"Are we gonna reenact battles in here?" he asked Mr. Vince on Tuesday.**

**"No, Mr. Pratt," Mr. Vince said with a frown.**

**Are we gonna set up encampments in here?" he asked on Wednesday.**

**"No, Mr. Pratt. But you can set up camp in the principal's office, if you'd like."**

"You never give up, do you?" Casey asked,

"Nope." Billy answered.

**"Are we gonna have guest speakers in here?" Billy asked on Thursday. "We could**_** really**_** use some guest speakers in here."**

**This made Mr. Vince scratch his hip, and eye him with a frown. "Are you implying that my class is boring, Mr. Pratt?"**

**Billy gave a little shrug. "I'm implying that we could **_**really**_** use some guest speakers in here."**

"I love you Billy!" Holly laughed.

"So that's what you were referring to earlier. Guest speakers." Marissa chuckled.

**Mr. Vince scratches his other hip as he looks around the classroom. "How many of you think we need guest speakers?"**

**Billy's hand shoots up, but everyone else just looks around at everyone else.**

"Sammy, you didn't raise your hand?" Casey asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Wait for it."Sammy said.

**"Aw, come on," Billy says to us, "Flap your chicken wings in the air already. **

"What!" Dot laughed.

"You must really like chickens." Holly noticed.

"Huh?" Marissa asked.

"You know, this, and his chicken hat…?" She trailed off.

"Oh!" Marissa yelled.

**Don't you want to listen to some old Civil War dude? Or Rosie the Riveter? Or slaves that were hunted by hounds?"**

"You do realize their dead right?" Casey asked.

"Maybe." Billy and Sammy said together. They looked at each other and starting cracking up.

**Jake Meers' hand inches up. "I would."**

**David Olsen's follows. "That would be cool."**

**Soon, almost everybody had their hand up, including me.**

"See." Sammy told Casey.

**Well, not Heather Acosta,**

"Go figure." Casey snorted.

**but that's because she's being her sneaky little shiny-leafed self.**

**Mr. Vince shakes his head and mutters, "I'm dealing with a roomful of retards." **

"Isn't that illegal or something" Dot asked.

"I have no clue." Sammy answered.

"But Sammy, don't you know all the laws? I mean, you have to know all them to know what you can and cannot do." Marissa teased.

"Are you suggesting that I break the law a lot?" Sammy asked, bewildered.

"Yes. I am." Marissa smirked.

"I do not!" Sammy defended.

"What do you call jaywalking, trespassing, and pretending to be people of authority to get information? Or lying to the cops, or living illegally?" Marissa retorted.

"Those don't count!" Sammy yelled.

"Whoa! Live illegally?" Billy asked.

"You'll see!" they all screamed**.**

**Then his face pops full of blood as he screams, "Those people are all dead! Dead you hear me? They've died! There're DEAD!"**

**Billy jumps out of his seat. "We should have a séance!" **

"Ha ha! Dude, you don't know when to cut the act do you?" Casey chuckled.

"It's not an act." Billy said mysteriously.

"**GET OUT!" Mr. Vince yells, pointing an angry finger toward the door. "Go to the office NOW!"**

**So while Billy collects his stuff and trudges out the door, Sasha Stamos turns around in her seat in front of me and whispers, 'I can't believe he called us retards. Doesn't he know that's offensive?"**

"He lives to be offensive." Casey remarked as he rolled his eyes. Marissa stared at him oddly, looking at the next line.

**I smirk. "He **_**lives**_** to be offensive." **

"Wow. You guys are really in sync." Dot muttered.

**Then I add, "This place takes some adjustment, huh?" 'Cause Sasha was homeschooled until just this year.**

"**Well, my little brother's autistic, and I shouldn't have to adjust to such an ignorant teacher." Then she gives me a we'll-just-see-about-**_**this **_**look and turns back around in her seat.**

"Well lets just_ see what_ she's gonna do." Billy said like he was so smart.

"We all know what's going to happen, Billy." Sammy sighed.

"Except me." Casey said.

**The trip to the office doesn't seem to dampen Billy's spirits though, because on Friday he comes into history wearing a hodgepodge of clothes that sort of adds up to a Civil war soldier's uniform, including a blue hat with crossed riffles on it.**

"This was the day when my life was ruined." Billy sighed.

"Your life was not ruined." Sammy said as she rolled her eyes.

"It was almost though." Billy countered.

**The hat comes off, though, when Billy notices a short man with soft features and receding red hair standing in the back corner of the classroom. **

Who's' that?" Casey asked.

"You'll see!" everyone said. Casey frowned

"Doesn't feel too good, does it?" Billy said with a smirk.

**I catch Billy's eye and grin like, Guest speaker? But he shakes his head and gives me a warning look that means one definite thing.**

**Be good.**

"Is this-?"Casey began.

"Yep." Sammy answered.

**The tardy bell rings, and Mr. Vince immediately clears his throat. "I'd like to apologize," **

"Apologize! Mr. Vince has never apologized in his LIFE!" Marissa yelled.

"Yeah. It was a shock to us too." Sammy agreed.

**he says, looking down at his shoes, "for using the word **_**retarded**_** yesterday. It was in poor taste, and I shouldn't have done it."**

**He glances up from his shoes and sort of vultures a look at the class.**

**We just stare at him, not making a peep.**

"**I'd like to put the incident behind us, so please accept my apology."**

**We just stare at him some more. **

"That must've been awkward." Dot muttered.

**Then suddenly he calls, "Mr. Foxmore, stay a minute, would you?"**

"Yep. It's him." Casey said.

"I already confirmed that." Sammy said to her boyfriend.

"Yeah, but you didn't know what I was going to say, so I could've been all like, 'Is that Mrs. Tweeter?' and you could've said yes." Casey countered.

"But I was right!" Sammy argued.

"Well-"Casey started.

"Can we read?" Marissa interrupted.

"Yeah." The couple agreed.

**We all whip around and see that the man with the receding red hair is in the middle of slipping out of the door.**

**Now, through my head are flashing a million thoughts.**

_**That's**_** Mr. Foxmore. The new vice principal? The new discipline guy? The new Mr. Caan? The guy who flustered Grams and refused to see me?**

**It can't be!**

**He seems so… soft.**

"Are you calling him fat!" Billy exclaimed. Sammy just rolled her eyes.

**And he's **_**short.**_

"What do you have against short people? Dot asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing!" Sammy said.

**And his suit is all rumply!**

"Rumply it was." Billy agreed.

**I mean, if he can't even control his suit, how's he ever going to control eight hundred junior high kids?**

**But then it hits me that he just got Mr. Vince to do something that Mr. Caan-who looks and acts like a pro wrestler-had a really hard time getting him to do.**

**Apologize.**

"Oh, so that's how he apologized." Marissa concluded.

**Sasha Stamos turns around and whispers, "My mom called the school about it yesterday!" **

"So that's the whole '_Lets see about this_!' thing?"Casey asked the group, and they all nodded.

**she seems very proud and super excited, but then hesitates and adds, "Don't tell anyone, okay?"**

**I nod, and as Mr. Foxmore comes back inside the classroom, Mr. Vince reaches for the rope at the bottom of the projection screen, which is pulled down in front if the whiteboard. "I'd like to know," he says, looking around the classroom, "which one of you thought you could get away with this?"**

**Then he yanks the rope, rolling up the screen and exposing a big, bold red-lettered message on his whiteboard.**

**A message that says DIE DUDE!**

"DUN DUN DUN!" Billy screamed, making everyone jump.

"We are finally done with chapter one!" Marissa said.

"Yep. So who wants to read chapter two?" Holly asked.

"I will!" Casey said.

Holly handed him the book, and Casey prepared to read.

**A/N So, I hope you liked it! Please review! Getting reviews really inspires me to write! I really do appreciate them! I looked on my account, and it showed that I didn't allow anonymous reviewers, so I changed that. So now anyone can review. I'll try and write as fast as I can, and hopefully I'll update faster than I did this chapter. I have 1 more week of classes, so less homework! Woot woot! But I still have to type the chapter up from the book which will take a few days, and then I have to write the responses which will take a few days. But anyways, I hope you have a terrific weekend, and that your Friday the 13****th**** was better than mine was. **


	4. Reading Chapter 2

**A/N Okay…I know I said I would update faster, but…..let's face it, I don't have a good excuse. I've been lazy, and I apologize. It's just that copying the chapter is really tedious, and I HATE it. It's the worst part . But, I now have a schedule I'm trying to work off of. My next few updates should be around these times:**

**June 14-chapter 3**

**June 22-chapter 4**

**June 30-chapter 5**

**If it's coming close to any of these dates, feel free to bug me I'm gonna start another fic on the PJO site, so that's why the 'due dates' are so far apart. So pretty much, I have 5 days to write each chapter…**

**Well, enough of my rambling, here is the gang reading Chapter 2!**

"Okay, Chapter 2" Casey begun.

**I don't know why I thought it was funny, but I did.**

"Sammy, that's because it WAS funny." Billy said, rolling his eyes.

"You just say that cuz YOU did it!" Sammy protested.

"And everything I do is funny" Billy insisted.

"Well-" Sammy started, but was interrupted when Casey continued to read.

**I mean, come on. How seriously can you take a death threat that has the word **_**dude**_** in it?**

**So yeah, I laughed. It just kind of came out. And other people laughed too, so it wasn't only me.**

"Nope, it was everybody." Billy said.

**But Mr. Vince?**

**Oh Boy.**

**He took it **_**really**_** seriously. **

**"You think this is funny?" he looked right at me. **

"Why does he hate you so much?" Dot asked.

"Remember? The Sluggers cup tournament?" Holly answered.

"Yeah. I know. But accusing her of a death threat because she did the right thing?" Dot shook her head, disgusted.

"No one said Vince was fair." Sammy smirked.

"**Do you know you can get **_**arrested **_**for something like this? Do you know it's a **_**felony?**_**"**

**"A felony?" I blurted. "Writing on your board is a felony?"**

"And here's my big mouth." Sammy muttered.

"Her and her mouth. Always causing trouble. Changing other's lived drastically." Marissa shook her head.

"Trouble yeah. Changing lives, no." Sammy corrected.

**The rest of the class snickered, but I was already kicking myself.**

"Good." Holly nodded.

**When am I ever going to learn to keep my stupid mouth shut?**

"Never. You wouldn't be Sammy Keyes without your loud mouth." Casey smiled and laughed.

**But off it yapped, anyway. "Hey, quit staring at me like that! I didn't do it!" **

"Yeah, Billy did it!" Sammy accused.

"Hey!" Billy defended.

**"Yeah? Then who did?"**

"Already said it. Billy did." Sammy said.

"You do realize you're talking to a book, right?" Holly asked.

"Not just a book. She's talking to herself." Marissa giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Sammy rolled her eyes.

**he asked, looking around the room. "Death threats are felonies!"**

**Everyone sort of shrank back because he was he was defiantly turning red around the edges. Then over on my right, Jake Meers says, "Why do you think it's one of us? Someone could've put that up at break. Or earlier." **

**"Yeah," David Olsen adds, "Like, did you use the board in first or second?"**

**Mr. Vince just stares.**

**First at Jake.**

**Then at David.**

"He probably doesn't like being wrong." Dot suggested.

"Nope, he doesn't." Casey agreed.

"**Perhaps you should just erase the board and get on with class." Comes a quiet voice behind us.**

**Everyone turns to look at Mr. Foxmore.**

**His gaze is cool**

**Calm.**

**Mr. Vince says, "But-" and in that instant Mr. Foxmore's look sharpens, an eyebrow arches, and his head cocks slightly.**

**It's a total ninja move, but just of his face.**

"Huh. I never thought of it like that," Billy said surprised.

**Mr. Vince hesitates, then picks up an eraser and wipes the message away. When he turns back around, Mr. Foxmore is gone. **

"Like a ghost!" Billy whispers mysteriously.

Everyone gives him a weird look.

**The vibe in the room was really weird after that. It was quiet and **_**seemed**_** calm, but the air was hot and angry. Like any second there'd be a downpour of hatred.**

"So you felt it too?" Billy asked Sammy.

"Yeah. It was really weird." Sammy agreed.

**We were all glad to escape to fourth period, and by lunchtime the whole school knew about the message, and everyone had different theories on how it wound up there. **

"Gossip." Everyone muttered.

**"You swear it wasn't you?" Marissa whispered to Billy, who was sitting at our lunch table.**

**"Why does everyone ask that?" **

"Cuz you're Billy." Marissa answered with a smirk. "and you lied to me saying it wasn't you, because it _was_ you!"

**Billy said. "I'm the poster boy for peace, love and understanding."**

Casey snorted. "Whatever you say."

**I laughed. "More like the poster boy for pranks, laughs, and under-studying."**

"Now _that_ I can believe." Holly laughed.

"Um, Sammy? What did you mean by under-studying? As in acting or Not studying?" Dot asked.

"I can't remember. But both seem to apply to Billy." Sammy answered with a little smile.

"Hey!" Billy yelled, like he was being accused.

"How is that offensive? You know it's true." Casey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to say 'Hey!'…"Billy said looking innocent.

"Okay…"Casey trailed off, confused.

**I shrugged. "And who cares, anyway? Vince made a huge deal out of nothing. A felony? Come on!" I laughed again. "I'm just glad that it wasn't me!"**

**After lunch, though, I found out that Heather Acosta also had a theory. "I know it was you, loser" she said, slithering up to me during science.**

"Is she accusing you because she has evidence or because she hates you?" Dot asked.

"Dot, number one: It's ALWAYS because she hates me. Number two: She's the one who told Billy to put it on the board. She knows who really did it." Sammy answered.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, forgot about that." Dot said shyly.

**"Oh, right," I snorted, and that's when it crossed my mind that **_**Heather **_**might be the person who'd written the message.**

"Really? I'm surprised she wasn't your first guess." Casey said in a surprised tone.

"It'll explain in the book…most likely." Sammy answered.

**Now, maybe I should have suspected that right away, but it was actually counter-intuitive. I mean, Heather was on Mr. Vince's softball team last year, and let's just say there're peas in the same rotten pod.**

"Gottcha." Casey said to Sammy.

**But Heather also has a history of setting things up so that people she's mad at get blamed.**

**Usually that's me.**

"Yep. Pretty much every single time…..except with this Die dude business…that's all Billy." Marissa said.

**The thought really bothered me, but when I told Marissa about it in drama, she whispered, "Look, stop worrying. It's over. Erased. Just forget about her, okay?"**

**Obviously, this was something that she had no problem doing because, just like that, she switched subjects. "Do you want to go over to Hudson's with me after school?"**

"You aren't even slightly interested in the death threats?" Holly asked, eyebrows raised.

"They weren't death threats at that time. And anyways, I HATE it when Sammy gets involved in stuff…cuz then she drags ME into it." Marissa defended.

"Okay, okay! "Sammy started. "Let's just finish up the chapter."

**I blinked at her. Hudson Graham is **_**my**_** friend. He may be seventy-two years old, but I've been dragging Marissa to his house for iced tea and good advice for over a year, and now **_**she's**_** inviting **_**me**_** to go with **_**her?**_

"Must've been weird." Holly muttered.

**"Why are you going to Hudson's?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around this change. **

**"Because, Mikey hangs out there after school." She tossed a scowl. "Mom says I have to either go straight to Hudson's or straight home, and it's **_**way**_** better than going home." **

"It is! My house is soooo boring!" Marissa sighed.

"But don't you live in a fancy house?" Billy questioned

"Yeah. What's your point?" Marissa asked slowly.

"Uhhhh…"Billy trailed off.

"Ever hear 'Money doesn't by happiness'?"Sammy asked Billy.

"Yeah. I never got it though. I wouldn't mind being rich." Billy said with a smirk.

"You try and-"Marissa started, but was cut off when Dot said-

"Marissa, forget it. His brain's too tiny to understand."

"Yeah. So much for being the poster boy for understanding." Sammy said with a smirk.

"Hey!" Billy yelled defensively.

"I'm just gonna read now….." Casey trailed off slowly.

**Something about this made me sort of, I don't know . . . fold up on the inside. Not collapse or anything like that. Just kind of…close in. I mean, I knew Marissa's little brother had gone to "camp" at Hudson's during the summer while their parents tried to straighten out their problems, but I figured when school started up again, that would be over. **

**Obviously it wasn't.**

"Do you have a problem with that?" Marissa asked Sammy.

"If we read the book, we would know my feelings! I hate this book. Why did it have to be in MY point of view?

"Cuz you're the most exciting?" Casey asked.

"Sammy sighed. "Casey, can you please read?"

**And the thought of Mikey and Marissa hanging out there, like, **_**permanently**_**, bothered me. I didn't **_**want**_** it to bother me, but still, it did. **

**Maybe it's because I'd finally gotten used to things. Hudson had helped me adjust to having an absentee mother,**

"You said you didn't live with your mom, and that you live with your Grandmother. Your mom's a movie star, so she lives in Hollywood, right? But doesn't she call?" Billy asked, trying to fit each piece together.

"Nope." Sammy begun, "well, she didn't use to…"

**and to living secretly with Grams in a building full of old people, **

"So, pretty much you're breaking the law."Billy commented.

"When is she NOT breaking the law?" Marissa snickered.

"Hey! I'm a good citizen!" Sammy said, defending herself.

"Okay…you think that." Holly laughed along with Marissa, as Sammy glared at both of them, then punched Marissa in the arm.

**and to being in junior high school, and…and to believing it was okay to like my archenemy's brother. **

"Oh! So he's the one we have to thank for that beautiful couple over there." Billy smiled, nodding his head towards Casey and Sammy.

**And now, just when I thought things were settling down, everything was changing again.**

"You don't like change?" Dot asked Sammy.

"Not at all." Sammy said.

**I wanted it to **_**stop**_**.**

**I wanted to go back to having Marissa in my classes.**

"Same here." Marissa agreed.

**I wanted to go back to having Hudson's porch be **_**my**_** safe haven.**

"Possessive." Billy muttered, but no one heard him.

**I wanted to go back to having Mr. Caan as the vice principal and Mr. Vince in a classroom that I didn't have to go into.**

"Don't we all." Dot nodded.

**And I wanted to go back to having Casey at school.**

"Yeah. I really wish we were at the same school." Casey said quietly and looked at Sammy. And, of course, she blushed.

**Back to him calling me.**

"AWWWWWWWW!" everyone in the room besides Sammy and Casey said, while the two just rolled their eyes.

"Sammy, you're quite demamnding." Holly said out of the blue.

"What?" Sammy asked.

"You want and want and want."

"Actually, Holly, you missed 2 wants." Billy corrected.

"Okay…..?" Holly trailed off, a confused expression displayed on her face.

**"What's wrong?" Marissa whispered. **

**I shook my head and said, "I should probably just go home. I've been putting off stuff I need to do for officer Borsch's wedding."**

**She laughs. "I still can't believe he asked you to be in the wedding. Does he secretly **_**not**_** want to get married?"**

"I still take that offensively." Sammy muttered, while Casey laughed at her response to the text.

**I tell her, "hey!" but I know exactly what she means. Whenever Officer Borsch and I deal with each other, there seems to be trouble.**

**Sometimes **_**big **_**trouble. **

**So including me in his wedding was either really brave or really stupid.**

**Maybe both.**

**Which in a weird Borschman way made sense, seeing how I've accused him of **_**being**_** both. **

"Wow. And what's up with Borschman?" Casey asked.

"I'm telling you. She has nicknames for everyone!" Billy answered.

"Only people I don't know names for…but sometimes I nickname people out of nowhere. It depends." Sammy answered.

"What was my nickname?" Billy asked.

"Well, one of them used to be 'Pratt-the-brat." Sammy smirked.

"That's not very nice." Billy muttered.

"What was mine?" Casey asked her.

"That, I'm not telling you." Sammy laughed, while Casey gave her a worried look.

**"He doesn't have anything to worry about," I tell Marissa. 'I'm just in charge of the guest book. What can go wrong?"**

"Again, you jinx it!" Marissa said, shaking her head.

"When will you learn?" agreed Billy.

"Like I said before," Sammy defended, "there is NO SUCH THING AS A JINX!"

"You keep telling yourself that." Marissa teased.

**She laughs again. "Everything!"**

**"Hey!"**

**So she drops the insults and says, "But that's **_**next**_** weekend, right? So what do you have to do today?"**

**"Grams found me a dress for the wedding, but it's too long and she's making me hem it."**

"Sammy, does your grandmother secretly hate the dress? I can't even picture you hemming!" Casey teased.

"I know, she's awful at it!" laughed Marissa.

"Hello? I'm right here." Sammy said annoyed. "Continue reading, Casey."

**"She's making **_**you**_** hem it? Why doesn't she just do it? She's really good at that sort of thing, isn't she?"**

**"Yeah, but she says it's something I should know how to do myself, so she's going to teach me."**

**Marissa snickers, "Should be fun." **

**I scowl at her. "A thrill a minute."**

"Hmmm, my views haven't changed." Sammy muttered.

**So that's the excuse I gave Marissa for not going over to Hudson's,**

"You lied to me!" Marissa cried.

"Uhhh…" Sammy said, looking away.

**and it was actually a pretty lame one, seeing how I could work on the stupid dress any time. But Marissa bought it, and I was glad.**

"That's messed up!" Marissa said, glaring at her best friend.

"Yeah, but Sammy always makes excuses." Billy chuckled.

"Hey!" Sammy said defensively.

"Yeah. She just wasn't in the mood to talk, and if she said that, then Marissa would ask why." Holly defended.

"Thanks Holly. At least _someone_ understands." Sammy thanked, glaring at Marissa.

"No prob." Holly responded.

**I don't know why-I just kinda wanted to be left alone. **

**Trouble is, the minute I'm home, Grams says, "Samantha! Sergeant Borsch called. He needs you to call Debra right away."**

"Why do you call him Officer Borsch when he's a sergeant?" Casey asked his girlfriend.

"I'm used to Officer Borsch." Sammy replied simply.

"And Debra is….?" Billy asked randomly.

"The bride-to-be." Sammy answered.

"**Why?"**

"**He didn't say, but it sounded urgent."**

"Everything he says sounds urgent." Sammy chuckled.

**So I go to the kitchen, pick up the phone, and dial the number grams had jotted down on the notepad. And when Debra answers, I say, "Hey. It's Sammy. I'm supposed to call you?"**

**"Oh, Sams!" she says, and even in those two words I can tell she's totally frazzled. "How'd you like a promotion?"**

**"Huh?"**

**"I need you to fill in for Robyn as my third bridesmaid."**

**"uh…**_**why?"**_

"Always so blunt and to the point." Casey smiled.

**She heaves a sigh. 'Honey, sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas." **

"What?"

"What?

"Whoa!"

Snickering filled the room.

**"What?"**

**"To cut to the chase, she's no longer in the weddin' party, and I'd **_**really**_** appreciate it if you could fill in for her."**

**"But…can't you just fire one of the groomsmen?"**

"Really, Sammy? Really?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah, Marissa. Yeah." Sammy teased. "I was trying to get out of it."

**There's a moment of silence. "No."**

**"But…don't you have any other friends who could do it? Or relatives? I mean-"**

**"Sam, look. I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't desperate."**

**"Uh, gee, thanks."**

"Sammy, honestly, letting you have a major role in an important event is a desperate move." Holly chuckled.

"Am I really that bad?" Sammy asked her friends.

"Yep!" agreed everyone.

**She heaves another sigh. 'I didn't mean it that way. It's just that the weddin's in a week, and everything goin' wrong! Gil broke his wrist, Robyn dumped a lifetime of garbage on me, the florist skipped town with my deposit, and the last time we met the minister he was drunk."**

**"He was **_**drunk**_**? And he's marrying **_**cops**_**?"**

"Not a smart move." Muttered Casey.

**"Well, I'm not a cop, technically. I just work the reception."**

**"You're cop enough," I tell her. "And how did Officer Borsch break his wrist?"**

**She sighs. "He fell off a treadmill." **

The room bursted with laughter, holding their sides.

**"He what!" I mean, let's just say that Officer Borsch could use some time on the treadmill-a **_**lot**_** of time- **

"You're kinda mean." Dot giggled.

**but him actually running on one was something I couldn't picture.**

**She sighs again. "It was goin' too fast, and he stumbled and fell. It's his left wrist too. So now his tux won't fit right, and all our pictures'll have an ugly white cast in em'."**

**"Wow." I tell her, trying to take it all in.**

**"Sams," she says, and her voice is all suddenly all choked up. "I'm forty years old. I've never been married. This is a big deal to me. Will you **_**please**_** do me this favor? Honey, you know the big man adores you. You know we both do."**

**And that's how I wound up saying, "Sure."**

**I mean, how could I not?**

"I now know why you said yes. That really sucks for her." Marissa said, shaking her head in sympathy.

"I know." Sammy sighed in agreement.

**So she tells me her address on Elm Street and says, "I'm around the corner from the Community Presbyterian Church. Just go down Constance, turn left, and there you are!"**

**"You're talking about that little white church?"**

**"Yes!" she says, all excited like. 'isn't it a perfect place for a weddin'?"**

**I said yeah 'cause I didn't know what else to say, then promised to meet her at her house the next day so that she could take Robyn's dress and turn it into mine.**

**It wasn't until I got off the phone that I started to wonder if her wedding luck was about to go from bad to worse.**

**After all, I was now officially in the wedding party.**

"See! Even you agree with me that it'll be a disaster!" Marissa pointed at Sammy.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sammy muttered, waving her off.

"So who wants to read the next chapter?" Casey asked the group.

"I guess I will." Holly volunteered.

"Hey. Who wants to get a snack?" Billy randomly asked.

Everyone looked at him then said a chorus of "I do's!" "Sure's" and "I'm starving's!"

Marissa and Sammy got up, went to the kitchen and brought out some frosting and graham crackers.

"Dude, I LOVE these!" Billy smiled once he saw the snack that the two girls picked out.

"I know, aren't they amazing!" Marissa agreed as she opened the frosting and graham crackers, then dipped a graham cracker in the frosting and shoved it in her mouth.

"Okay. We have our snack. Lets read." Holly said, and then began to read…

**A/N So…..? Do you like it, hate it? Are the characters OOC? Are they IC? Please review! I really appreciate it, like almost every author. Reviews brighten my day! Even if it's an 'its good' or why you liked it, or any suggestions to what the characters should say at certain parts in the book. Anything! **

**And thank you to:**

**(No name) thanks! I'm glad you love love loved it! I'll try to update. Like I said, I've got a schedule. Lol**

**PZZZZZZZ-I'm happy that you like it **

**Tia Pakhi-sorry if this wasn't quickly enough, but I will really try hard for the next chapters.**

**Lolipops-thanks! **

**Iluvbowling4soup-thanks! I always liked the characters reading the books, and I will try and update ASAP!**

**And special thanks to cammygrl because she reviewed every single chapter! you are truly amazing! **

**Anyways, I hope you have had a terrific summer so far (and if you are still in school, good luck ) Remember, feel free to bug me to update! Mwhahahahha!**


	5. Reading Chapter 3

**A/N I know, I know, I'm a day late. I sorta have an excuse. Sorta. I was supposed to have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to work on it. (I was working on my other story, remember? I have it to the DATE) I did on Friday. Saturday I was gone all day. I was busy Sunday (plus I forgot…oops), Monday I was gone too, and Tuesday I worked. So, I had to work my butt off this afternoon, so here ya go! :) (There's a kinda long A/N at the bottom, but read it! I needed to ask you something!)**

**Read, review, and LOVE ;)**

"Okay, Chapter 3." Holly began.

**Grams thought my "promotion" was a little odd, but after I told her about the broken wrist and stuff not staying in Vegas and the florist skipping town, she tisked and said, "Poor dear."**

**So the next morning I headed to Debra's. And it's not like I was in a hurry or anything. For one thing, I'd left the apartment plenty early. For another, I was getting fitted for a **_**bridesmaid's**_** dress. **

**Who's in a hurry for that?**

"I am!" Billy pouted like he was hurt, while everyone laughed and rolled their eyes.

**So I decided to cruise my Hudson's, which was **_**kind**_** of on the way, thinking that if he was hanging out on the porch reading the paper, I'd stop and say hi, and that if he wasn't, I'd just keep going.**

**He must've heard my skateboard, because he was watching the sidewalk with the newspaper already lowered as I clickity-clacked up to his walkway.**

**"Sammy!" he called, and he actually stood up.**

"Just don't go around thinking your special, Sammy." Marissa teased.

"But she is special." Casey smiled.

"AWWWW!" Marissa and Dot cried, while Billy and Holly said, "EWWWWW!"

**I popped up my skateboard and turned onto his walkway. "Hey, Hudson."**

**"I've missed you, my friend," he said, pouring me a glass of iced tea as I went up the steps.**

"Tea's gross." Billy interrupted.

"What are you talking about? Tea's amazing!" Sammy countered.

"Tea, no. Soda, yes!" Billy smiled.

"Soda's bad for you!" Holly added.

"There's a lot of bad things in the American diet. Why blame it all on soda?" Dot asked.

"Yeah. Might as well give up half of our diet." Marissa said.

"Okay, sorry to interrupt this, uh, _important_ discussion, but let's get back to reading." Casey said.

**I plopped into my usual chair and took the tea. "Thanks," I told him, and I meant it for more than just the tea.**

**"So how's the new school year treating you?"**

**"Marissa didn't tell you?"**

"Why? You think I have a big mouth?" Marissa asked teasingly.

"Yes." Sammy answered in a monotone, looking totally serious. Marissa's face fell.

"Kidding! Well..sorta." Sammy admitted.

"**Just briefly. But I'd like to hear it from you. What's this Mr. Vince fella's problem?"**

"He scratches too much." Sammy muttered.

**I laughed. I mean, usually adults try to get you to see the other adult's side of things, but not Hudson. If I'm up against something, he's always on my side, even when being on my side means helping me see how I can handle things better.**

"I see why you like hanging out with him. He's pretty cool." Casey nodded.

"Yeah he is!" Holly, Sammy, Dot and Marissa nodded.

**Anyway, I took a nice, long drink of tea and then told him all about Mr. Vince's "death threat", and Mr. Foxmore's ninja face, and Billy Pratt's wanting guest speakers, and Heather Acosta's itchy, witchy ways. It came out in one big, convoluted sentence, and when I finally came up for air, I took another nice, long sip of tea and said, "Aaaaah!" then smiled at him, "I've missed you too."**

"Did you not see him for awhile?" Casey asked his girlfriend.

"Well, it had been a few days to a week. It wasn't like I hadn't seen him for a month or whatever. I was just busy, you know, with school starting. "She answered.

"Ah." Casey nodded.

**"Hmm," he said, smoothing out one of his bushy white eyebrows as he grinned at me, "sounds like junior high is back in full swing."**

**I laughed. "What was I expecting, right?"**

"You know, most people have, you know, _normal_ junior high experiences." Marissa said.

"Yeah Sammy, your life is kinda…" Dot trailed off.

"Soap Opra-ish?" Sammy offered.

"Yeah!" Dot laughed.

**He nodded. "Just keep yourself out of the fray where that Mr. Vince is concerned. I know Billy is a friend of yours, but do yourself a favor and steer clear of his antics. Teachers have more power than students, so you'll find yourself at a distant disadvantage in any altercation."**

"And it doesn't look like she took the advice." Marissa giggled.

**"You think it was Billy?"**

**Hudson took a sip of tea. "You don't?"**

"Thank you! Someone believes me!" Billy sighed.

"I believed you!" Marissa said.

"Not at first!" Billy retorted.

**The funny thing is, I didn't. I didn't know who it was, and the truth is, I didn't really care.**

Everyone gasped, except Sammy. "Sammy Keyes…doesn't…care! Marissa yelled, wide eyed.

"It's a conspiracy!" Billy cried.

"Shut up." Sammy said, rolling her eyes.

**The only way Mr. Vince was going to die from that message is if he gave himself a heart attack over it. **

**Anyway, Hudson and I talked some more, but when he asked me what was on my agenda for the day, I noticed me watch and jumped up. "Oh! I'm late!"**

**"Late? Where are you off to?"**

**"Debra's!" I called from his walkway. "She's marrying Officer Borsch! I'm in their wedding next Saturday! I'm a bridesmaid, if you can believe that!"**

**He laughed. "That **_**is**_** a shocker!"**

"It shocked us all." Holly muttered.

**I tore down the sidewalk and waved. "Thanks for the tea! See ya!" **

**I found Debra's house, no problem. It was creamy yellow with blue and green trim, and really cute. **

"I didn't even know you even knew the _definition_ of that word." Marissa said.

"I can't believe you said it _out loud."_ Dot added.

"I can't believe you would _describe_ something as 'cute'" Holly corrected.

Sammy shook her head. "You guys are drama queens."

**But it was also really…small. Like maybe someone got carried away building a little Danish playhouse. I kinda felt like Alice going up to the Mad Hatter's house.**

**Good thing I already had some tea. **

Everyone smiled. "Sammy and her sense of humor." Casey smirked.

**Anyway, the arch door swept open, and Debra greeted me with, "I was afraid you chickened out." **

**"Chickened out?" I laughed, "Me?"**

**Then I saw the dress.**

**"Yes, you." She said when my jaw hit the floor.**

"Yeah. I bet Casey did the same thing when he saw you _in_ it." Billy snickered, making everyone laugh, except Sammy and Casey who were blushing.

**I tried to pull myself together, but I kept my distance from the dress, sort of circling around it. It had short puffy sleeves, puffy skirt and big, puffy bow at the waist. And if that wasn't bad enough, it was **_**lavender**_**.**

Now, throughout the whole description, everyone's faces were smiling, and at the end, everyone burst out laughing.

"That's a scary mental image. Now I REALLY wanna see Sammy in that dress." Billy shook his head, still smiling.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't." Sammy said.

**"Is that your favorite color?" I asked, trying to think of something to say. **

**She scratched a long nail through the ratty nest of bleached hair on top of her head. "I was thinkin' princess dresses. You know, a real storybook weddin'?" she looked at me. "You hate it that much?"**

"Man. Sammy in a storybook wedding?"Holly smirked, "that's a scary thought."

"I don't want to have a 'story book wedding'. I'm wearing my high-tops at my wedding." Sammy said stubbornly.

"Of course, as long as it's fine with Casey." Marissa laughed.

"Why do you continue to embarrass me?" Sammy asked her friends. "Don't answer that."

**I tried to laugh and say, "No, of course not!" but it sounded more like I was choking. So I cleared my throat and said, "hey, I'm into jeans and high-tops, you know that." I stepped closer to the dress, trying to figure a way to be polite about this mountain of lacy lavender. "I can't believe you made this," I tell her, holding out one side of the skirt. "It must've been a lot of work."**

'She MADE it?" Casey asked, astonished.

"Yep." Sammy and Marissa nodded.

"Why?"

"She'll explain, don't worry." Sammy said.

**She nods. "I've been a bridesmaid five separate times where the girls had to buy their own dresses. It cost an arm and a leg! I didn't want to o that to my friends." She sighs, "Besides, my other made the dresses for the seven attendants at her weddin', and their marriage is still growing strong after forty-three years later. Mom says that the more you invest in somethin', the less inclined you'll be to give it up on it." She shakes her head at the dress. "After makin' three of these, plus the men's bow ties and cummerbunds, I'd guess you'd say I'm invested. **

"Ahhhh." Casey said.

**I take a deep breath. "Okay, so what do I do?"**

"**Let's get you in the dress and see how much I have to take it in."**

"Since Sammy's so small, that's a lot of taking in." Billy said.

"I'm not _that_ small." Sammy rolled her eyes.

**She leaves while I switch into the dress. It's got three separate zippers at the waist, but I don't even need to unzip them to get inside it.**

"See!" Billy cried.

**And when she comes back into the room and sees me drowning in a sea of lavender, she bursts into tears. "I don't have **_**time**_** to start all over again!"**

"Huh. I say she has a LOT of taking in to do. I told you were small." Billy said smugly.

"Either that or Robyn was fat." Sammy suggested which made everyone laugh.

"**Are you sure you don't have somebody, you know, **_**bigger**_** that you could ask?" **

"**No!" she says, flinging away a tear. She takes a deep breath, then zooms in and buzzes around me like an angry bee, jabbing pins into the dress as she cinches it up around me. And when she's finally done telling me "Hold still!...Arms Out!...Hold still!...Arms down!...Hold **_**still**_**!" I feel like a porcupine, afraid of its own quills.**

"That was tiring, let me tell ya." Sammy sighed.

"**That's it," she mutters as she takes a last walk around me. "We'll worry about the hem after we get your shoes."**

"**Shoes?" I ask.**

"Yeah. What did you think? Were you planning on going barefoot? Or going in your high-tops?" Marissa shook her head.

**She stops moving and looks right at me. "It's just for a few hours, okay?"**

"**Meaning…?" **

"**Meaning you've got to go over to KC Shoes in the mall tomorrow and get fit for a pair of shoes. I'll get you a swatch of the dress material."**

"**Wait, what?"**

"**They die the shoes to match the dress?" she says, like she can't believe I've never heard of such a wonderful service. **

"_I've_ never heard of such a service." Billy said.

"**I'd have you go today, but Kenny's not working today, and he's the only one I trust to get 'em done on time. He'll be there from two to six tomorrow. Is that okay?"**

**I just blink at her, wondering, Is **_**what**_** okay? The shoes? Or the time? **

"The time." Marissa said, rolling her eyes.

"**It's easy, Sams. You just tell him it's for Debra's weddin', and he'll know what to do."**

"**S-Sure," I tell her, then get out of the dress and out of **_**there**_** as fast as I can. **

**Now, as I'm tearing along on my skateboard with a stupid swatch of lavender in my pocket, I'm feeling very pent up. Very claustrophobic. Very, I don't know, **_**sweaty**_**.**

"It's summer, and your riding a skateboard. What do you expect?" Holly asked.

"Not like that." Sammy muttered.

**And I'm thinking how I've **_**never**_** been the princess wedding type. Way before this bridesmaid fitting, the whole fairy-tale-wedding thing was something that I just didn't **_**get**_**. **

"It's because they want a 'happy ending'. It's a special day…?" Marissa offerd.

"Nope. Still don't get it." Sammy said back.

**Maybe something's missing in my brain.**

**Or maybe I have no I-wish-I was-a-princess gene.**

"Maybe it _is_ a gene." Billy thought to himself.

**Or maybe my mom just didn't read me enough fairy-tales.**

**Come to think of it, I can't remember Lady Lana reading **_**any**_** of those fairy tales where the girl got swept up by a handsome prince and they live happily ever after.**

**No **_**Cinderella**_**.**

**Or **_**Snow White.**_

**No **_**Sleeping Beauty.**_

"Really? She seems like she likes fairy tales." Dot asked.

"The book might explain." Sammy answered**.**

**And as I'm riding along, it hits me that maybe that's because **_**her**_** fairy tale didn't exactly come true. Not that I even know what her fairy tale **_**was**_**, but I do know that whoever my prince of a dad is, he didn't exactly ride off into the sunset with her.**

"She won't tell you what happened?" Billy asked Sammy.

"Nope."

"Did you ask your dad?"

"Like it said, "Sammy answered, "I don't know who he is."

"That sucks." Billy said, feeling bad for his friend.

"Tell me about it."

**Which was probably even harder on her than I know because my mom **_**is**_** the princess type. She's beautiful and acts like she's regal and faints at the sight of blood.**

**There's a reason I call her Lady Lana. **

"She doesn't sound like you at _all_." Billy concluded.

"So you're calling me ugly? And she isn't." Sammy agreed.

"Except that the two of you are extremely stubborn. And you're beautiful too." Casey laughed.

"I'm not stubborn! But I will take that 'beautiful' compliment." Sammy defended.

"Of course you will."

**Anyway, there I am, riding along, having a rare moment of sympathy for my mother, **

"Rare?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. We didn't get along back then." Sammy answered.

**when all of a sudden I realize that I'm almost at the house where Heather Acosta and her mother live. **

"How did you know where she lived?" Casey asked Sammy.

"That's another story." Sammy snickered, along with Dot and Marissa remembering her Halloween party.

**And **_**that's**_** when I notice that there are two people going up the walkway to the house.**

**Two people who **_**are**_** Acostas, but defiantly not the ones who live there. **

**It's Casey and his dad. **

**I almost flip a U-ie and beat it out of there, I mean, the last few times I spoke with Casey, he acted strange-distant and sort of uncomfortable-and the last twenty times I called his cell,**

"Dang Sammy. Someone's desperate!" Billy laughed.

"Shut it, Pratt!" Sammy yelled, blushing madly.

**it rolled over to voice mail and he still hadn't called me back.**

**Like I can't take a hint? **

"He didn't have his phone, so it wasn't like he was avoiding you." Dot offered.

"Actually, Casey did have is phone. He didn't lose it until AFTER he moved in. "Sammy corrected.

"Casey! You avoided Sammy?" Marissa asked.

"Uhh…" was all he could say.

**But I don't flip a U-ie. I can't seem to make myself. Oh, I slow waaaaay down, but I'm like a stupid moth to the flame, moving in closer and closer. I know I'm going to get singed. I know it's going to hurt. But I can't seem to turn away.**

"And I did." Sammy muttered.

"I'm so, so, so sorry." Casey told her, squeezing her hand.

"It's fine. Over. Done with." Was her reply.

**Plus, I can't wrap my head around what he and his dad are doing.**

**They're carrying a bulky black dresser **_**toward**_** the house. **

**And there's a bunch of stuff in the back of a pickup truck in the driveway.**

**Stuff like a bookcase.**

"Each sentence has its own line!"Holly muttered. "New paragraph, new paragraph."

**And a bed.**

_**Big**_** stuff. **

**And it's not new stuff, either.**

**There's no plastic covering.**

**Or cardboard boxes.**

"It's _still_ doing it." Holly muttered once again.

**It sure **_**looks**_** like moving day. Only what I can't figure out is…**

**Who's moving in?**

"Me!" Casey smiled sadly. "That was a depressing day."

"At least I don't have to go all the way to Sisquane to see you!" Sammy said.

"Yeah, that's nice" he smiled.

"Next chapter's gonna suck." Sammy said quietly.

"Why?" Casey asked, then his face fell. "Oh. Right."

"Is this nect chapter filled with drama? YES!" Billy smiled.

"No. Not good.." Marissa seriously.

"Anyways, who wants to read?" Holly asked the group.

"I will." Dot volunteered. She grabbed the book from Holly. "Okay…"

**A/N So….? Did you like it, hate it? Were the characters in character? Should I **_**stop**_** doing something, or **_**start**_** doing something? Next week will be really…entertaining…hopefully. Next chapter=so much drama. DUN DUN DUN! And thanks to my reviewers! I really, really, really appreciate all the reviews. It really does motivate me. I LOVE MY REVIEWERS! :) **

**And Iluvbowling4soup suggested I do another one of these after I finish this one. I might do "Reading the Night of Skulls" cuz by the time I finish this one, it'll be September-ish, right? (I know, so long till the cammy kiss :(…) the prologue/first chapter will be on WC paperback (right?) and **_**that**_** comes out in September…I'll do the prologue/first chapter once it comes out and the rest in October, once it officially comes out. I mean, I'll only do it if you're interested, so tell me!**

**Chell01-Thanks, but I do have the book in front of me when I type the chapter. If I didn't, I'd be, like, superman. ;)**

**Cammygrl-I love you too! Lol. :D And thanks for bugging me! I was writing this chapter like crazy cuz I knew you were gonna hunt me down, lol**

**Iluvbowling4soup-Thanks! Not Sammy Keyes, but lots of other categories have them (Ex-Percy Jackson, Harry Potter ect). I love FF too. I'm addicted :) I updated, so, I'm pretty proud. Were they IC? And don't worry. In the story Casey WILL find out his nickname (Baggy Boy) lol. That'll be fun XD**

**(No name) There were two 'no names' so I don't know if they are the same people, but I assume they are. I know. I felt really bad yesterday. I'm like "Awwww!" It makes me feel loved, ya know? XD. It's also motivation. **

**I LOVE YOU GUYS! You all rock! I will see you next week for the dramatic chapter! !**


	6. Reading Chapter 4

**A/N Okay, I know I'm late. REALLY late, but my little sister and I are writing something, and she's making me work on it nonstop. I'm leaving for camp tomorrow, and I'm coming home on Thursday, so that's why I won't update next week... I tried REALLY hard to update before I left. I still haven't even packed because I was working on this! And I'm leaving tomorrow at 11 am-ish! (It's about 7 pm on Thursday, FYI) I feel soooooooo bad! But here you go! Enjoy!**

**Read, review, LOVE ;) **

**Disclaimer: I keep forgetting to put these. GRRRR! I do not own Sammy Keyes, her friends, or the words in bold. They all belong to Mrs. Wendelin Van Draanen and Random House! :) **

**First, I have a real pang of sympathy for my mother. **

"Why?" Holly asked with curiosity.

"The book will probably explain in a moment." Sammy replied, then she muttered, "But, boy, was i wrong."

**All I can think of is that Candi Acosta and Warren Acosta have gotten back together and that my mom has gotten burned. **

"Oh!" Casey interrupted, stretching out the vowel, "That's why you were so confused..."

"Yeah, it was a real shock...but i should've expected it." Sammy said

"This sucks." Billy said randomly.

"What does?" Marissa asked.

"Everyone knows what's going on besides me! All of you know what's going to happen while i'm here reading this for the first time!"

"Well, we _heard_ about it. We weren't actually there...we get to read what they said exactly and what their facial expressions were." Marissa said

"Yeah. Sammy tends to either embellish her stories or to make it sound like no big deal." Dot agreed.

"Hey!" Sammy glared.

**Again.**

**Sure, the Acosta's have been divorced for years, and yeah, who could've seen this coming? But maybe something happened that made them realize that they belong together. Maybe Candi found out Warren was interested in my mom and turned on the ol' charm. **

"That's a scary thought..." Casey muttered.

**To me seems like some kind of firecracker cigarette-something I wouldn't let anywhere _near_ my lips-**

"Good, cuz you're straight..." Billy said, while Sammy just rolled her eyes.

**but obviously at some point whatever "charm" she had worked on him.**

**Anyway, Casey sees me coming, and since he's saddled up with a big ol' dresser, I guess waving is a bit out of the question. But he doesn't even say 'Hey!" or nod hello. He just stops moving and stares at me.**

"Was it cuz you were surprised, worried, or just checking her out?" Billy asked Casey with a smirk.

Casey thought for awhile, then said, "A little of bit of all of them..."

**"What's the holdup?" his dad asked, looking at him from the his side of the dresser.**

**Casey cocks his head in my direction, and even from fifty feet away, I can see Mr. Acosta's face morph into a big Uh-oh….!**

"So they're hiding something..." Billy

"Yep." Sammy simply replied.

**The sections of sidewalk count off slowly under the wheels of my skateboard, clickity…_clack_, clickity..._clack_. ..and the sound mixes with this lightheaded feeling I'm having, which makes the whole scene seem like something out of a dream. Like I'm desperately trying to get away from a monster, only I'm moving toward it. **

"Interesting metaphor..." Dot said.

**Casey and his dad have some frantic exchange, and Casey practically drops his end of the dresser, forcing Mr. Acosta to lower his, too. **

**"Hello there, Samantha," Casey's dad says, like, Isn't this a lovely day, and oh, hey, do you hear the birds chirping? "What brings you out to this neck of the woods?"**

**I totally avoid looking at Casey but I lock eyes with Mr. Acosta. **

"Why? Were you embarrassed?" Marissa laughed.

"No, it was awkward. He hadn't returned my calls for a long time and when he did he sounded...distant." Sammy confessed.

"Sorry." Casey muttered.

**"A bridesmaid's dress fitting. What about you? You and the missus have reconciliation?"**

"WHAT!"Dot, Holly, Marissa and Billy yelled at they started laughing.

"You would say that, Sammy!" Dot giggled.

"My dad was really confused." Casey chuckled.

"Let's read and forget about my complicated word choice, shall we?"

**The minute it was out of my mouth, my brain screams, _the missus_? Who says "the missus"? **

"You." Holly smirked

**But it's out there in the air, and I can't exactly take it back, so I just stand there like I've got all the right in the world saying things like "the missus" and quizzing him about his ex. **

"You looked pretty convincing too." Casey chuckled.

"She's a good actress, like her mom." Dot laughed.

"Actually," Sammy said, "I suck at acting. I've tired it it. Lying on the other hand..."

"I don't know if I should be proud or worried." Marissa laughed while Sammy gave her a look.

**He looks totally confused. "What?"**

"See, confused." Casey noted.

**I nod at the truck, 'looks like you're moving in."**

"**Uh…"**

**I'm still not looking at Casey, but Warren sure is.**

"**Tell her!" Casey hisses at his dad.**

"That would suck to be in that position." Billy said

"Yeah, the Love of Your Life is hiding something." Marissa frowned.

Sammy rolled her eyes. "Can we _please_ not talk about it?"

"I agree." Casey followed.

"Okay..." Dot trailed off, then continued reading.

**Mr. Acosta looks back to me. "You, uh…when was the last time you spoke with your mother?"**

'**it's been a while." I tell him, and for some reason his question sort of rattles the mortar in my fortress wall, if you know what I mean. "Why? Does _she_ know what's going on?"**

**He hesitates, then says, "She and I…" He shifts uncomfortably. "She's been meaning to talk to you…"**

"I bet she was..." Sammy muttered.

**I can feel the wall start to crumble. All of a sudden I'm shaky all over, because I just know-Lady Lana is at it again, keeping secrets that seriously affect _me_. **

"She does that a lot?" Billy asked, and you could tell he _really_ felt sorry for her.

"Yeah." Sammy smiled sadly, figuring he was thinking about _his_ family life. It might be a similar situation.

"**Yeah?" I snap. "I'm sure she's also been meaning to be involved in my life and bake cookies and attend my softball games."**

This time everyone gave Sammy a sad look.

"Stop that!" Sammy snapped. "It's fine. You get over it."

**He cringes. "Look, Sammy, I'm sorry. I know this is awkward. She said she wated to be the one to tell you."**

"**Tell me _what_?" **

**Casey cuts in. "That my dad got a part on her soap."**

"Wow. What a rebel, Acosta." Billy smirked, clearly over his depressing attitude. Casey just rolled his eyes.

**Mr. Acosta flashes a look at Casey.**

"**What?" Casey snaps at him. "I've told you for weeks that she'd better tell her or I would, and you didn't do anything about it. And here I had to tell her, anyway!"**

"Dang, Casey. You were really mad." Holly said seriously.

"Well, yeah." Casey said. "I had to lie to someone I really care about."

"It didn't feel so good either." Sammy said glumly. And Casey took her hand and smiled at her.

"AWWWW! That's so cute!" Marissa said.

"You guys are so sweet." Dot agreed.

"I can't believe it took you half a year to get together." Holly laughed.

"I'm just disturbed." Billy said.

"Whatever Billy." Marissa muttered. "Remember 'Get Together-ing'?

"Yes!" Holly and Dot laughed, while Sammy just blushed like crazy.

"What's get together-ing?" Casey asked, confused.

"Yeah, I'm with Case. I have no clue what you guys are talking about.

"**You didn't have to," his dad snaps back.**

"**Are you nuts?" He turns to face me. "I'm sorry, Sammy. It's why I haven't called you back. They kept saying they were going to tell you and that I couldn't." he shakes his head. "This whole setup stinks."**

"Casey, you do realize nobody ever told her what was going on, right?" Marissa questioned.

"I was kinda freaking out at the time, and I figured she would have figured it out." he responded.

"Umm, hey, I'm right here ya know? I _did_ figure it out thank you very much. It just took me longer than usual because I didn't _want_ it to happen." Sammy stated.

"This is soooooo confusing." Billy said all of a sudden. "All I know is that Casey moved in. Why, I'm not sure..."

"Sorry. Dot, continue reading." Holly ordered

**I blink at him." You've known about this for **_**weeks**_**?"**

"Oooohhh. Casey, you're under the bus now!" Marissa made a face.

"Yeah, for weeks..." Sammy muttered to herself.

"I know, and I'm sorry!" Casey apologized, "I had no choice!"

"Technically, you did have a choice; you just chose to follow the rules." Billy clarified.

"Thank you Billy." Casey said as glared at Billy.

**My head wobbles back and forth. "And what, exactly, is the setup?" **

**Mr. Acosta turns his back on me and drops his voice, but I can still hear him when he says to Casey, "Lana needs to tell her."**

"He's like Sammy! You're always saying things loud on accident." Dot laughed.

"I know, I'm working on that, okay?" Sammy said with attitude.

"**Get real!" Casey snaps, then steps around him and blurts out, "He's moving to LA, which leaves me stuck living here."**

"You were really mad, weren't you, Casey?" Holly asked

"Well, yeah. You thought I was cool with lying to Sammy?" Casey smiled, "I'd rather yell at my dad than have Sammy be mad at me."

"That's so-" Marissa started.

"Do NOT say sweet, Marissa!" Sammy interrupted. "Dot, I really want finish this chapter."

"Okay..." Dot trailed off looking worryingly at her friend.

**Now, maybe this should have been obvious from the beginning, but it wasn't. My brain had painted a completely different picture. So even though, the actual situation was probably a lot more realistic than my little reconciliation scenario, the news really knocks the wind out of me. "Y-you're moving in with my mom?"**

"Ew." Marissa said, making a face.

"I know." Casey and Sammy agreed.

"Talk about being awkward." Dot muttered.

**I ask Mr. Acosta, and it sounds like I'm gasping for air.**

**Mr. Acosta hurries to say, "No, no. I have my own place," but he's looking pretty shifty-eyed.**

"He's a bad liar. Either that or Sammy can tell when she's being lied to easily...or both." Billy thought aloud.

"I think it's both." Casey chuckled.

"**Sure you do," I say with a snort, doing my best to take cover behind what's left of my disintegrated wall. **

"**I do!" he insists.**

"**Whatever." I push off on my skateboard. "Tell my mom I hope you two live happily ever after."**

"**Sammy, wait!" Casey calls after me, **

"Call for your girl! Win her back, Case!" Billy called to Casey.

"If I did, I don't think any of the events ahead would've taken place." Casey muttered.

**but I pump the sidewalk hard with my foot and tear past their truck of furniture. **

**I'm hurt that he knew.**

Casey flinched.

**I'm hurt that other people's feelings are more important to him than mine.**

Again, Casey flinched.

Holly then said "Wow, Sammy. I didn't know you were so-"

"Mushy." Marissa interrupted

"I was going to say hurt...but that works too." Holly agreed.

"Okay," Sammy said irritated, "I think I've already established that, on the inside, I can be mushy."

**And it's killing me that he's been keeping this secret from me. **

Casey flinched, once again.

**I mean, Lady Lana keeping secrets is one thing. I'm used to that. But Casey? I've trusted him with life-and-death secrets! How could he _not_ have told me about this?**

"I wanted to." Casey began," i really did..."

"It's okay." Sammy said touching his arm. "It's the past. I already forgave you." At that, Casey gave Sammy a small smile.

**Still, half a block later I look over my shoulder, hoping to see Casey, but he's not chasing after me.**

"I didn't know you wanted me to!" Casey told Sammy. "I'm sorry."

"It's _fine_." Sammy said

"Casey," Billy interrupted, "All girls like to have their knight in shining armor come after them."

"I had a knight in shining armor once. Turns out it was just a loser in aluminum foil." Marissa grumbled, referring to Danny.

"I thought you still-" Dot began

"I do. It's just that he's not really...knight-ish. You know, coming to my rescue?"

"So your still stalking his house?" Sammy asked.

Marissa's face was beet red.

"Whoa! What?" Billy and Casey asked.

"Nothing! Dot, read!" Marissa said quickly.

**He's not even on the sidewalk, watching me go. It took me a long time to go back home. I was really just trying to find someplace to be alone so I could think, but everywhere I went reminded me of something I didn't really want to think _about_.**

**Mostly, Casey. **

"Dang, You-" Billy started, but was cut off when Sammy said,

"Please. Don't say anything about me being to romantic. Because I'm not."

"Well, from the books I'd say your pretty-"

"Shush!" Sammy yelled.

**The mall, **

When Sammy punched Billy down and gave him a bloody nose." Casey said with a smirk.

"Whoa, what!" Dot, Holly, and Marissa all asked.

"It doesn't feel too good to be out of the loop, now does it!" Billy taunted with the three gave him death glares.

**the little park outside the mall, the dugout at the baseball fields**

"The sluggers cup tournament..." Dot smiled.

"Yeah, the events after that weren't so great, though." Marissa grimaced.

**…they all brought back memories of Casey, and then other places reminded me of _Heather_, which of course made my think of Casey.**

"I hate being associated with her." Casey mumbled.

**It's really hard to forget about someone when everything reminds you of them.**

**So I finally gave up and went home.**

**Besides, there was one burning question that I could only get an answer at home, and the more thought about that question, I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.**

"What is it!" Billy said in a childish voice, like he was just told he was about to receive a present.

"If you'll be quiet, we'll find out." Sammy said

**So the minute I'd snuck through the door, I asked Grams, "Did you know about Warren the Wonderful moving in with Lady Lana?"**

"Okay, seriously." Casey laughed, "You have nicknames for everyone! 'Warren the Wonderful'? Really?"

"Yes, really." Sammy glared. "It's sarcasm. He's not that wonderful cuz he's dating my mother."

"What was my nickname?" Casey asked again.

"I might tell you later, if I feel like it." Sammy smirked.

"Okay. Fine. But you have to tell me within the next two chapters, deal?"

Sammy thought about it, then said, "Deal."

"Okay. The deal has been made. Whether Sammy follows through with the deal or not is another matter." Billy said with an announcer's voice.

"Ummm, yeah..." Dot trailed off.

**She was wiping down a kitchen counter and froze in midswipe. "What?" she asked, blinking at me through her glasses.**

"**You heard me. And I want the truth, because you know what? I'm tired of you and her having secrets from me. I'm tired of you protecting her and saying you're just protecting _me_. You're always telling me to be honest with you, but you know what? You and stupid ol' Lady Lana always keep secrets from me. If you expect me not to hide stuff from you, you better quit hiding stuff from me!" **

"Dang, Sammy. To the point." Marissa said , the expression on her face clearly said that she was shocked.

"Well, that's how Sammy is." Dot chuckled.

"I'm taking that as a compliment.." Sammy said as she broke her Graham cracker in half.**_ (Yeah...they're still eating those... lol)_**

**I punch my hands on my hips. "Did you know that Warren Acosta got a part on _The Lords of Willow Heights?"_**

_"That's _the show your parents are on?" Billy asked Sammy and Casey.

"yep." they both replied.

"My mom plays Jewel." Sammy told him

"**No!"**

**Right off, I know that she's telling the truth, but her answer throws me because it's not the one I was expecting. My fists come down. "You didn't?"**

**She shakes her head. "Are you sure? When did all this happen?"**

**I snarl, "Who knows?" and plop into a kitchen chair. **

**Now I'm acting mad at the world, but I actually feel a lot better than I did when I came through the door. At least for once Grams isn't in cahoots with Lady Lana.**

"Cahoots." Billy giggled like a school girl. "Cahoots." he said again and erupted with laughter.

"Ummm, okay...?" Holly said as she stared at Billy like he was an alien along with everyone else.

"What? It's a funny word, Cahoots." Billy argued.

"We're almost done with this chapter, so I'm just gonna read now..." Dot trailed off.

**At least for once I'm not the only one trying to piece things together in the dark_._**

**At least for once I don't feel so _alone_.**

Everyone looked at Sammy with sympathy.

"Will you stop that!" Sammy snapped.

"**He's moving in with her?" Grams gasps, and sort of dissolves into the chair across from me. **

**I snort again. "He denied it, but I could tell he was lying."**

**Grams puts both her hands flat on the table. Like she's steadying it. Or herself. Or maybe the situation. "Samantha, please. From the beginning. And don't embellish."**

"She LOVES to embellish." Marissa smirked.

"Or play it down, depending on the situation." Holly added.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pick on the poor helpless girl whose having her _THOUGHTS READ_!" Sammy yelled.

"Suck it up." Marissa said with sass. Sammy just stuck her tongue out at her.

**So I give her just-the-facts-ma'am, and she says, "Your mother and I need to have a conversation."**

"**Good luck there." I grumble, but then Grams gives me the sweetest, most sympathetic look ever and says, "I feel so sorry for you and Casey."**

"Me too." Marissa, Dot and Holly all said together.

"How did your Grandma find out about Casey? Did you tell her how in love you were?" Billy asked teasingly.

"She didn't find out about him till March...She found out by Macaroni N' Salsa..." Sammy told them.

"Ahhhh," Billy said with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah..." was all Sammy could say.

**Suddenly my eyes are welling with tears, and my chin is quivering. **

"Sammy's crying!" Billy sung softly. and she threw

""Shut up!" Sammy ordered as she threw a pillow at his face.

**It's like she totally understands how horrible and complicated this has made everything. As much as my mother's tried to hide it, she's obviously been seeing Casey's dad, and if they're an item, what does that make Casey and me?**

**Almost siblings?**

**In-law-no, wait-_outlaw_ siblings? **

"Out-law?" Dot asked, confused.

"Well yeah. Here, look at it this way: If our parents got married, we'd be stepsiblings...aka In-law siblings. But they're NOT married...so it's out-law...does that make sense...?" Sammy explained.

"Yeah, thanks."Dot thanked.

**How awkward is that?**

**And, yeah, at least there was a _reason_ Casey hadn't returned my calls, but is dad being with my mom made me and Casey feel so…impossible.**

"Look at where we are now." Casey smiled.

**I mean, having Heather as a psycho "sister" would be bad enough, but Casey as a stepbrother? My brain can't figure out what to do with that. And, yeah, maybe there's no blood involved, but even before this-even when my mom and his dad had just gone on one date-the thought of them being together totally weirded both me and Casey out. And now it looked like it was becoming a reality, I just didn't know what to _do_? **

**Grams holds my hand across the table and forces a little smile. "We'll get through this together, all right?"**

"It won't change anything." Marissa said as she shook her head.

**I nod and choke out, "Thanks." And even though I know how lucky I am to have her in my life, even though she's the most wonderful, loving person, she's my grandmother.**

**The person I wish I could get through this with is Casey.**

"Awwwwwww!" Dot, Holly and Marissa all sighed.

"Will you cut that out?" Sammy ordered.

"Nope!" Marissa smiled.

"Who wants to read?" Dot asked the group.

"Well, since I'm the only one who hasn't read, I guess I'll do it." Billy offered as he grabbed the book from Dot's hands.

"Okay. First, bathroom break." Holly said. At that, everyone stood up to either put the frosting and graham crackers away, go to the bathroom, or to just stretch. Once everyone returned, they all sat back down.

"How long have we been reading?" Casey asked openly.

"Umm," Sammy started, and then looked at the clock. "About an hour."

"Okay. So Hudson won't be coming back too soon." Holly said.

"Now back to this majestic book." Billy said with a smile. "Let's do this thing!"

**A/N So yeah...Hopefully I did okay. I know I'm 2 weeks late, but, let's face it, "I've been lazy and I've been working (both on the script and working for my mom). I also need to finish writing the first chapter of my other story. I hope you enjoyed it! :)**

**Thanks to:**

**(No name)- Thanks! I don't think I want to skip around though because that's not how "Reading the…" fics are…It's them actually READING the book. But instead I'll add more of a plot to it and longer dialogue? Does that sound good?**

**Iluvbowling4soup-Well thanks! That made my day :) I don't really read/write harry Potter fics, but my name _would_ be the same. I just used HP as an example cuz it's one of the only categories that do a "Reading the…"' fics. I do read/write Percy Jackson though!**

**Chell01-Good! I'm glad someone thinks so. I just can't stand fics where the characters aren't IC. I try my best, so I'm glad I'm not disgracing any characters :)**

**Cammygrl-I live in AZ! What city did you go to? It's hot here. Today was like, 117 degrees. My friends house's AC broke! LOL! And I am Ssorry! I feel really gulity! Im going to camp this week, but I will try and update ASAP!**

**Hi My Name Is Mia- lol. I'm glad you liked it! :) I'll update faster this time**


	7. Author

**A/N Hi. I know it's been forever since I updated, and I apologize. I was just cleaning out my Document Folder, accidently deleted the next chapter to this story-which was half done, and am now highly depressed. Sigh. I will try to restart ASAP, but not this weekend (I might though…maybe) because today is my little sister's birthday (she's sick :() and she has a birthday party tomorrow and I'm helping run it. Then I have to do homework on Sunday. So I'm really really sorry.**

**And on top of that, a just found out if I order Night of Skulls and Son of Neptune (from PJO) on Amazon, they both come on October 14-18! AHHH! SoN comes out on October 4, NoS comes out October 11. I was supposed to read NoS during fall break! My whole schedule is ruined! And I'm going to be the last person to read it! And I don't want to get them at a book store because they are way more expensive there (both books are $22 on Amazon). Any solutions or other sites that might get me the books ASAP? PLEASE HELP ME! I literally started crying when I heard this. That's how terrible this is.**

**Thank you and I'm SO sorry for my laziness and my stupidity. That is all.**

**PS: Sorry if you thought this was an update :)**


	8. Another Author's NoteSorry

A/N. This isn't a chapter, so sorry if you thought it was.

I have an announcement, and I just wanted you to be aware of it. My friend, Mrs. Billy Pratt and I are writing a crossover story together, consisting of the fandoms: Percy Jackson, Sammy Keyes, Psych and the Avengers.

The reason I'm telling you this is because we're making a joined account, and the people following me wouldn't know that I have a new story, and finding the crossover might be a little hard. The story is going to be located in the Percy Jackson and The Avengers section, but there's still plenty of Psych and Sammy Keyes in there. Our name is "TheObliviousElephants. You can find the profile/more information on my profile.

But anyways, news/a response to me not updating in, like, forever.

Just find the story your reading this message under, and see why the heck I haven't updated, and when I will.

**Just Give me A Heart Attack Why Don'tcha?!:** I haven't updated this since December 21, 2011. Wow. No wonder you guys are ticked off, I'm a slacker. First off, I apologize. I haven't been in the writing mode lately, but as of now, I'm trying to start writing again. I hope to publish the next chapter soon, but I don't want to set an exact date because I don't want to let you down. But don't worry, this story is my top priority, alongside this new fic. Thank you so much to those who have dealt with me over the year, and have continued to persuade me to continue. Honestly, getting those reviews, even months later, really reminds me that there are still people who want me to continue. I love you guys so much!

**Hero**: Hey! Just so you know, for those of you who are following this, I'm not going to add new chapters. What I mean is that the next installment is going to be another story itself, so if you want to know when it's coming, Author Alert me. I'm trying to write them, but I have lost inspiration, but I think I'm starting to get back into the writing mood now. I have a bunch of ideas, but right now I don't know what story/characters I'm going to do first. Thanks for all your suggestions!

**My Life's What Now?!:**Yes, I realize it's been a year since I updated, and I apologize. I WAS planning on posting chapters over the summer, but then I got lazy, and I regret it. So, I AM trying to work on it, and thanks for your patience! You are truly amazing and you have a right to be mad at me. Frankly, I'm mad at myself. So, I hope this fic kinda makes up for it. Oh! I also have a oneshot I'm working on, and I hope to post it soon. Thanks for all your support!


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